


Messages Between Houses

by DestielHardcoreLove, Swlfangirl



Series: Cleaning Out the Que [11]
Category: Fallout 4, Supernatural
Genre: Allistair - Freeform, Alpha!Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arson, Claiming Bites, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Smut, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Oral Sex, Recovery, Smut, So much angst, Temporary Character Death, hurt!castiel, omega!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-06-24 01:44:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 60,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19713778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielHardcoreLove/pseuds/DestielHardcoreLove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swlfangirl/pseuds/Swlfangirl
Summary: Castiel was just grateful to be on his own, but he had to admit that without his stubborn, rude, asshole of a neighbor; he might not make it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be updated as I go along, I'm reading back through this one so hopefully I don't miss anything but feel free to let me know if I did. Also, please take care of yourself. This isn't a super sappy piece of domestic fluff, it's angsty as hell and I'm not gonna lie I've already cried a few times while editing/reading again. Also, I don't want to ruin the story but if you have concerns about the temp character death, please send a comment or message me on tumblr @swlfangirl and I'll be more than happy to explain it to you.

“Stubborn Sonuvabitch,” Dean whispered to himself, as his fingers stretched the fabric of his curtains just a little further. Someone had just moved in to the other half of his condo and while he did his best to ignore the guy, the way he had the last three groups of people that had came and went, it wasn’t working.

“Ugh,” he said to himself, knowing what was coming. The guy was going to catch his death and Dean would be the one left behind to discover the body or something equally inconvenient. He stomped his way upstairs,  _ nobody _ was dying on his watch. Especially not the new neighbor who was just too stupid to cover up.

Castiel knew it was silly to be out in the snow, it had barely started to flurry and he was immediately outside trying to build what was probably the most pathetic excuse of a snowman to ever exist. It was the first time he’d been on his own without anyone hovering over him and thanks to the scent blockers that were easily accessible, he could venture outside without being harrassed.

He’d never been more grateful for the Omega Rights Movement until that moment. Well, that one, and when it was announced that Omegas could own their own homes without an Alpha as well. Castiel was among many who were raised in an Omega home, kept away and taught the correct way to behave and blah blah blah. Then the bill passed. Freedom was now theirs. By law, the homes still had to take care of them until they could get out on their own but Castiel had scraped up what meager savings he had and rented the cheapest thing he could. He had three articles of clothing, a blanket, and a pillow. 

But he was  _ free _ .

So if he shivered a bit violently and his teeth clacked together while he built his stupid snowman, no one could tell him he couldn’t.

Dean huffed out some cold air and pushed through the door, slipping into his winter boots as soon as humanly possible. 

“Dude, you’re going to catch your death out here...you from down south or something?” Dean asked, his boots clomping in the small patches of snow where it was actually sticking. 

Castiel tried to control the shivering to answer whoever was behind him but he couldn’t, “N-No. I-I’m f-f-from here,” he said and continued to put a small palm sized ball on top for the head. He smiled down at it and poked to holes for eyes. 

“You’re not so bright then huh?” Dean whispered, mostly to himself. He held his thickest winter jacket open, toward the guy and waited. When he didn’t respond past tilting his head and looking back at him in confusion, Dean huffed again. “C’mon man, it’s too cold for you to be out here in nothing…” 

Castiel’s lips pulled down into a frown and he shook his head, “Don’t know if you got the m-m-memo but I can do whatever the f-f-fuck I want,” he said.  _ Stupid Alpha. _ He thought to himself. 

Dean blinked…

“Sure you can, you can do whatever the fuck you want... _ except _ freeze to death outside my place because you’re too stubborn to put on a damn jacket dude!” Dean said, exaggeratingly shaking the jacket toward his ridiculous neighbor. “C’mon, don’t make this about something it’s not about. I don’t care who or what you are, just put the damn clothes on before you get frostbite.” 

Castiel glanced up at his neighbor. The jacket he was holding out did look incredibly warm. His little snowman was finished anyway and he was starting to lose feeling in his fingers and toes. He got up to his feet and gave the stranger a bashful smile as the jacket was draped around his shoulders.

“Th-Thank you...I-I don’t have much of m-my own right now,” he said, shivering just a bit harder at the sudden warmth and spicy scent surrounding him.

“No problem,” Dean answered, decidedly not addressing what exactly it did to him to see his favorite coat draped over the blue eyed stranger. Not now, not ever. Dean backed away with a small wave. 

“I have the fireplace going,” he added bluntly, wincing a bit internally. 

“Up to you if you use it or not…” he started, then quickly, with a scornful tone he added, “but don’t be an idiot.” 

“I don’t even know if my place has one, to be honest,” Castiel said, his chattering becoming less. He pulled the coat tighter around himself and winced when his belly rumbled, “Do...do you have food?” he asked and then ducked his face down in embarrassment. The handlers had tried to warn him about leaving too soon. He hadn’t cared, he just wanted out so badly he ignored all of them. Now he was slightly regretting that decision.

Dean stared at the guy. 

He almost said no, almost said it was too much but then the memory of his mother’s warm smile made the ache in his chest thump to life again and he scowled. “C’mon then. I’m not going to wait on you to finish your... _ fun _ . If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come get it while it’s hot.” 

He led the way back up to the porch on his side, he’d spent years getting it exactly as he wanted it while the opposing side remained the generic wooden steps that looked as if it might fall at any moment. He kicked the snow from of his boots before tugging them off just inside the small mud room. When he turned to sit them back on the small rug off to the corner, he pushed against the other man who had just stepped inside. 

“Sorry,”he said, reflexively and then backed off. When he was able to think straight again, Dean grumbled. “You should pay more attention to your surroundings.” 

Castiel blushed furiously at the Alpha’s brashness but ignored it in favor of getting food. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday and now that he was thinking about it, it was all he could focus on. 

_ One day, you will have an Alpha who will take care of you in some way. You must repay him for his caring of you. _

Naomi’s voice rang in his ears and he swallowed hard. This Alpha didn’t seem like he wanted anything from him. In fact, he seemed pretty offended with how close Castiel was standing and he wasn’t even within arms reach. 

He followed the Alpha into the kitchen and sighed softly. It was beautifully decorated and well used. There were appliances and tools everywhere, the scent alone making his mouth water. Maybe he wouldn’t be too against repaying this Alpha...

Dean scooped a hearty bowl of chili out for his...well he wasn’t going to call him a guest,  _ neighbor _ he supposed, and sat it down on the island. He dug some crackers from the cabinet, some of yesterday’s bread from the wooden box on the counter and warmed some milk up on the stove. 

“Eat,” he grunted, pouring the warm liquid into a couple glass mugs before scooting one of those over as well. 

He got his own serving, added some cheese into it as well before digging in. 

For a while it was only the sound of spoons clicking against the glass bowls and a few hums of approval that Dean studiously ignored. And then the once peaceful silence was broken. 

“Thank you, this was very delicious,” Castiel said, nerves beginning to sear through him. This was probably the one area of their studies that Castiel absolutely failed at. It always got him in trouble and punished, being thrown into the dark room until they deemed it long enough. 

Swallowing hard he slipped off the stool and placed trembling fingers on the Alpha’s arm, “C-Can...how can I repay you?” he asked meekly.

Dean’s spoon stuttered for a moment, hovering just beyond his reach. He glanced up at the guy incredulously. Just to be a dick though, Dean ran his eyes over the neighbors body, watching him shiver uncomfortably. He glanced back up to those big, innocent blue eyes. 

“You..wanna know how you can repay me?” he asked, biting at his lip. 

Castiel swallowed the bile back down quickly and nodded, the air in his lungs getting locked up as he waited.

Dean moved in closer, leering at the stranger once more just to make sure the point sank deep enough. “You can learn how to fuckin’ take care of yourself. Now, get out. I don’t need or want anything from you little Omega.” 

Castiel felt like he’d been slapped. Though the surge of relief flowed through him, the Alpha didn’t need to be a complete ass about it! He jerked back almost violently and nearly tripped in his haste to get away from the Alpha.

“You didn’t have to come fucking help me, you jerk,” Castiel stammered, throwing the coat at the Alpha’s face, knocking the empty bowl onto the floor. He ran out of the house and took the few short steps to his own door. 

“Stupid fucking asshole Alphas,” Castiel seethed, slamming his door shut and then slid down until he was able to hug his knees.

There was a nagging in the back of his head that sounded familiar but Dean shut it down quickly. The interaction, however short, had him itching to reach for a bottle. Thankfully there weren’t any in the house and the roads weren’t in any shape for him to be getting out to go after any. 

_ “Fuck _ .’ 

Dean reached down, picked up the bowl and spoon which was surprisingly still intact. Once he sat it back up on the island, he pulled out his phone. As much as he hated to, he knew what he needed to do. 

Just two short rings and there was the familiar southern creole in his ear. 

“Hey there brother, how you doin?” Benny asked, leaning back on his couch. 

“It’s been four years and I’m about to throw it all away….I need you to talk me down, Ben.” 

Dean took a few deep breaths, his hand shook as he gripped at the edge of the island countertop just a little too hard. He watched his knuckles turn white and still he couldn’t seem to feel the cool marble against his fingers. 

Benny instantly sat up, heart pounding in his ears. The two of them had met at an AA meeting years ago and since Benny had been sober for nearly ten years, he was now a sponsor. Dean had been his first and most successful charge. But now he was thinking of drinking?

“Hey, first you gotta breathe. Do your counts Dean,” he said softly. He could hear the harsh breathing and then slowly, the counting began. Once the shakiness was slightly more controlled Benny dragged a hand down his face, “Okay, now, tell me what happened. What brought this on?” 

“Stupid neighbor-,” Dean growled, and then took another deeper breath. When he was able, he grunted out one more word “Omega…” 

Benny squeezed his eyes shut and cursed. The person being an Omega wasn’t necessarily the problem, well it was but not in the normal sense. Before the law changed freeing Omega’s and giving them all kinds of rights or whatever, the majority of them were forced into centers, especially if they had no legal guardian, mate, or Alpha to claim them. 

When John Winchester wrapped his car around a pole, Dean and Sam got lost in the system. Separated by their class and Dean never saw him again. There were no details of how he died, just that he was no longer breathing. He’d been searching for years but Benny didn’t think Dean knowing what exactly happened, would do him any good. It would only spark up the ongoing rage that was always burning on embers in Dean’s chest. 

And now he was living next door to an Omega? One that more than likely just got out of a center to be on their own.

“Dean. What happened to Sam, is not your neighbor's fault. If anything, they probably went through the same shit he did. Now tell me what else happened.”

He barely held back the growl, only Benny could use that name...hell he was the only one left who fucking knew it. Dean felt the rage at the system and everything else bubbling back up inside him as he slid down to the floor, forcing himself to breathe despite how hard it seemed at that particular moment. 

“He was-he was going to freeze his ass off….I didn’t know-I just, just a jacket…” Dean started, it was mostly incoherent but Benny always had a sixth sense at understanding him so he just kept going. “Hungry, chili- _ repay the favor _ -” he growled out, the disgust clear in his tone. 

“Fuck,” Benny let out his own growl. He’d assumed correctly about that Omega coming from one of those damn centers. Meant to care and protect Omegas when in reality, they were brainwashing and training those poor people into practically slaves. How to behave and listen, to be good and do whatever their stupid ass Alpha would need. It was disgusting. It had taken too long to liberate them and of course, now there were new laws coming out of the ass to protect and rehabilitate the Omegas to function on their own. Seems like a few slipped through the cracks.

“Dean...Dean Winchester listen to me,” Benny called out. There was a grunt and Benny knew that was all he was gonna get, “You gotta hear me brother. That boy probably reacted in the only way he knew how. You’re probably the first Alpha he’s come across since being locked up in that center. He’s not gonna be used to being treated like anything other than a sex toy with legs.”

Benny took in a deep breath and leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees, “From what I’m hearin, a lot of them are runnin away from those places and have nothing. Barely any money, no clothes, no food. They’re just desperate to get out and be  _ normal _ .”

“What if that were Sam?” he asked so softly, it was just barely above a whisper. It was a low blow but he had to. He had to get Dean out of his head and see the situation for what it really was. 

There was a broken noise and Dean was more than a little surprised to realize that it had come out of his own mouth. A few tears gathered on his cheek and spilled over as he said what they both knew to be true. “How the fuck am I supposed to take care of someone else when I can barely take care of myself Ben? I’m a fucking disaster...he doesn’t need me, he needs a real goddamn Alpha.”

Benny swallowed hard, the broken tone in his friends voice breaking him all over again, “He doesn't need an Alpha Dean. What that poor boy needs is a  _ friend _ . Someone to help show him that there is so much more to being an Alpha or an Omega,” he said softly.

“What the fuck do I know about being anyone’s fucking friend, Benny?” Dean asked, huffing out an empty laugh. “You know as well as I do, you wouldn't put up with me if you didn’t fucking have to and I don’t blame you…I just-kid needs more than I’ve got in me...you should just come take care of him yourself.” 

“Yeah you’re an asshole, a prick most of the time but that doesn’t change that deep down, you’re a good guy Dean. I’m not sayin go over there with a fruit basket and bff necklaces but maybe the next time you see him, don’t be a dick,” Benny laughed.

“And by the way, asshat, I would put up with you regardless. We just happened to have met in a different kind of situation. You haven’t really needed a sponsor before now for a while and I’m still here aren’t I?”

“Stubborn pride,” Dean muttered, but Benny just laughed at him.

When he finally hung up a few minutes later he was feeling slightly better and he knew that he wasn’t going to get out in the weather to get a drink, broken or not. 

Well, as much as he hated to admit it...that was at least progress. 


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel frowned at the man standing at his door, the envelope clutched in his hand hovering over the threshold of his door.

“Please, it’s from the government, meant to help you get back on your feet,” the man said. There was no scent to him and that only meant either he was a Beta or one heavy blockers. Castiel’s own supply was dwindling and he was getting scared. Even with all the laws in place the only places hiring Omegas were strip joints or massage parlors that guaranteed “happy endings”. 

“And what do I have to do-”   
  


“Absolutely nothing. The Case Manager from your center told us about you and where to find you. We’re trying to track down as many Omegas as we can to help them,” he said. Castiel scoffed at the formal title. They merely called her “mother”.

He hesitantly reached out for the envelope when the door next to him opened and the Alpha stared at him with wide eyes. Castiel felt shame slam into him and he yanked his hand back.

_ You can learn how to fuckin’ take care of yourself. _ __   
  


Castiel felt the tears burn at his eyes. He needed that money. There was no food in his house, he hadn’t eaten for what felt like days and he was so cold.

The man looked at Castiel and then at the Alpha who had suddenly appeared, “Are you alright Mr. Novak?” he asked.

“I-I’m fine...I…” he looked at the envelope almost longingly before slamming his door shut and sliding down it with a heavy sob.

Inias stood there flabbergasted, the money still clutched in his hand as he turned towards the gawking Alpha, “You know there are laws now protecting Omegas from Alphas harassing them,” he stated.

Dean wanted to bare his teeth at the stupid Beta but he refrained. “I’m aware...You want to do him some good? You want to help him?” 

He waited for the beta’s glare to lessen. 

“Take that money, and go buy him some damn groceries...and some winter clothes…” Dean started, and then he glanced out at the small stack of wood at the edge of his side of the porch. “And when you get back, you can chop him down some fucking firewood...how does that sound?” 

Inias floundered a bit, “Sir, I-I’m not supposed to-” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought…” Dean said, shaking his head. “Useless, just like the rest of them.” 

“I’m gonna take off, I won’t be back for a few hours. See if you can coax him back out of his hidey hole if you want, or don’t. Fuck if I care,” Dean said, though that last bit felt more like a lie than it ought to have. 

Too many times over the last couple days he’d thought of his brother and while he still wanted to reach for a bottle occasionally, Sam’s voice was oddly comforting when it was calling him out on his bullshit.

_ It’s not about Alpha or Omega, Dean.  _

_ He needs help, you have the means and opportunity to help him.  _

_ What would Mom do? _

“Fuck you too, Sammy.” Dean muttered under his breath as he revved the Impala’s engine and backed out of the garage. 

Well, he was already going shopping anyway. It probably wouldn’t kill him to pick up some shit for his neighbor while he was out. 

Castiel didn’t know how long he sat there, hugging his knees and being overwhelmed by all the emotions swirling around him. He thought he could do this. That he was strong enough to be out on his own. He didn’t need the center to help retrain him out of everything they had pounded into his head for years.

God he was so wrong. 

He wiped at his eyes and went to put his hand down to get up when he touched something. It was the envelope the Beta had been holding. Castiel hugged it to his chest and tried to calm his breathing. There was enough inside to at least get a bed and some warmer clothes. He scrambled off of the floor to find a good hiding spot when he heard a car door slam and then several thuds against his door. 

Castiel quickly placed the envelope in a drawer and hurried to one of the front windows and gasped. His neighbor was setting over a dozen bags in front of his door. And it wasn’t just food either. He couldn't tell exactly what it was but Castiel was eager to find out but stayed hidden. The Alpha seemed angry as he stomped back and forth until finally carrying a few more bags inside his own house. Once the door slammed shut and didn’t re-open, Castiel slipped out and eagerly snatched at the bags.

Inside was food, warm clothes, and even a thick wool blanket. Castiel found himself crying once again and this time he knew he had to repay the Alpha. Just, not in the way he’d been trained to. 

There were other things he could do. 

It took awhile but he managed to get all the food put away and changed into some of the clothes the Alpha had gotten him. They were a bit big but he didn’t care. He was finally warm and it was enough to get him in the kitchen baking. 

Thankfully whoever had lived there before Castiel had left a few things behind, including several casserole dishes to which he used to place the Chicken, Fettuccine and Alfredo pasta. He wanted to make more but that could wait until later. 

Holding his breath he clutched the dish close as he stepped outside and over to the Alpha’s door, his hand only slightly shaking as he knocked.

Dean sighed as he opened the door, he imagined it was coming but he’d hoped to avoid the interaction.

“Yeah?”

“Hi...um,” Castiel swallowed hard and looked down, trying to steady himself, “You didn’t have to do that. Thank you,” he said and held out the still hot dish.

Dean didn’t really know what to say. He wasn’t going to give the stranger his tragic backstory so instead he just nodded, grunted, and shut the door.

Castiel blinked a few times, the dish still in his hands. Obviously there was something more going on here. More than he could even fathom but he wasn’t going to be shoved away this time. Not until the stupid Alpha at least took the stupid dish that was now burning his hands.

He knocked on the door again and didn’t stop until the Alpha opened the door, “Will you please take this? I don’t care if you throw it away but at least this attempt of me saying thank you is much better than my last,” he said quickly and shoved the dish between the door and the frame just in case he tried closing it again.

“I’m Castiel.”

“Castiel…” Dean said, more out of surprise than anything else, 

Dean looked at him like he was crazy. “The food was for  _ you _ …” Dean paused, glancing down at the dish again. “To eat.” 

He understood sheltered, knew that most of the Omegas from centers had been fucked up in one way or another or many but Dean was starting to wonder if the guy was all there. “If I wanted food, I’d have gotten myself some...oh wait, I did.” 

Castiel tilted his head and huffed, “I made plenty for myself. So much so I’m probably going to be sick after eating it all. But if you’re going to be a dick about it, then fine. Sorry for bothering you with my presence,” he spat out and turned on his heel to hurry back to his own door.

Dean shook his head, staring out at the empty space where the Omega’s heavily blocked scent began to fade away. He had a knee jerk reaction to go over and apologize, but instead he just shrugged and stepped back away from the door, closing it behind him. 

He stood in his kitchen for a while, his pot already simmering on the stove. Dean chewed at his lip, sighed, and then eventually did what he’d been debating for the last ten minutes. He grabbed a pen and a post it, and wrote some instructions on it, before sticking it onto an opened box of ziploc bags. 

  
  
  


**_Don’t Waste Food_ **

**_Fill a bag ¾ full, clamp down tightly to push air out and then zip closed. You can freeze almost anything for months._ **

  * **_**_Dean_**_**



He didn’t even bother with boots and a jacket, just stepped outside and tossed the box over the small railing, making sure it snapped against the door so his neighbor would hear it. 

Castiel’s head snapped up and he slowly went to his door. To say he was a little confused by the box at his door would be an understatement. He picked it up and found himself smiling for the first time in days.

“Dean. At least I can call you something other than asshole,” he muttered to himself and gently pressed the note onto his fridge. His chest swelled a little that Dean wanted to help him. Even in his own dickish way. He laughed a little and did as he was instructed, making sure his food was taken care of.

After he was done eating his fill and chewed on his lip before finding a piece of paper and something to write with.

**Thank you for the advice Dean. It was very helpful.**

**Castiel**

Castiel crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it back at Dean’s door. It didn't make any noise so he scooped up some snow and launched it at Dean’s door as well, grinning when this time it made an audible thud.

Dean grunted, he wondered if he could just ignore it. Then he had some flashes of his stupid stubborn neighbor standing out in the cold like an idiot for no reason at all just because Dean wouldn’t come answer the door. 

He gave in with a long, drawn out sigh, and went to the door. 

Dean frowned when his doorstep was empty...well except for a clump of snow and...a small triangle of neon pink….paper? 

Despite himself, there was a twitch at the corner of his lips when he read the small note of gratitude. Still, there wasn’t any point to replying so he didn’t waste the paper. 

  
  
  
  


It took longer than he’d hoped but eventually the weather cleared up a little and the Omega next door finally left. Allowing Dean some unknown amount of time to do what he’d been planning for a few days. Still, he didn’t expect it to take too long. Everything was pre-assembled and ready to go. 

He drilled two screws into the small spinning wheel on his porch and then quickly rushed over to attach the second to the edge of Castiel’s side. It was a small pulley system he’d rigged up with a thin rope and a chime on each side. In the middle, a dry erase board and a small packet of markers.

It was probably more than what was necessary to communicate but the idea had popped into his head and Dean hadn’t been able to get rid of it, so he'd’ built it and figured worst case scenario, Castiel wouldn't use it. 

He thought over what his first message should be for a few beats, but then decided to just go with his first thought, and sent it over. After all, he wasn’t sure when his neighbor would return and he didn’t want to get caught mid assembly. 

**_Don’t waste paper._ **

**_It hurts trees or some shit._ **

  * **_**_Dean_**_**



  
  


Castiel felt disgusting. There were no new jobs other than the ones he knew about from the start. He was running out of options and money. The stash the Beta had given him was thinning and Castiel was getting scared he’d be homeless within a month. 

Agreeing to work for that strange man Alistair still made his stomach churn but it would have to do for now. Shaking his head he trudged up the steps towards is door but stopped with a gasp. He didn’t understand what he was seeing at first then he read the note and barked out a laugh. Dean was impossible. He erased the words with the eraser provided for him in the space between their doors and wrote out his own message.

**_I will keep that under advisement._ **

**_You have any other wise teachings for me?_ **

**_Castiel_ **

Castiel almost wrote out another thank you. He stopped himself and erased it. It only seemed to anger his neighbor so instead, he signed his name and pulled on the strings to make the board go onto Dean’s side. Castiel snorted at it and shook his head as he entered his house.

Dean would never, not even under threat of death, tell anyone that he waited by his window for most of the afternoon. He wanted to see Castiel’s response and when the Omega lit up, it warmed him in ways it probably shouldn’t have. Dean swallowed, and then stepped back away. 

_ Don’t wanna seem too eager, Winchester.  _

_ That’s pathetic. _

After an hour or so had passed, sixty seven minutes to be precise, but whatever he wasn’t keeping track. He gently removed the board and smiled at the words neatly scrawled across it. Dean erased it quickly and got to work on his response. 

**_Zepplin is King_ **

**_Never take a joint from a guy named Don_ **

**_Dogs and leather don’t mix._ **

**_Keep first aid supplies in your wallet or on your person at all times._ **

**_Try not to need them._ **

  * **_**_Dean_**_**



It was a little over an hour later that he heard the chime. A small grin pulled at his lips as he eagerly hurried to the door. Sure enough there was a new note and Castiel swallowed hard. Dean may be a little prickly but Castiel was hopeful that maybe they could at least be friends.

He took the board and almost didn’t erase the message. Quickly taking a picture of it with his cracked phone, only then did he erase it. 

**_Isn’t a Zepplin a flying balloon or something?_ **

**_I’ve never smoked a thing in my life._ **

**_I hate dogs. If I could choose, I’d pick a cat, I think I might get one too._ **

**_I’ll try to not need them._ **

**_I’m a bit of a clutz, though so I can’t promise anything._ **

**_Castiel_ **

**_P.S. How do I get my fireplace to work?_ **

Dean forced himself to stay busy around the house, though he didn’t really have much to occupy his time. He tried to work, but his mind wasn’t in it so he pulled away quickly. Sighing to an empty room, he put some coffee on and after a few hours, he finally allowed himself to step outside.

Reading over the words made him audibly groan but there was a small amount of fondness growing in his chest. It was even more clear than ever before that his ridiculous neighbor was completely clueless about life on the outside. 

Castiel didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he jerked awake, nearly falling out of the chair he’d been able to purchase with the last bit of money he had. Scrubbing at his face he made his way to the front door, eagerly wanting to check and see if Dean replied. When he noticed that not only his message had been erased but there was no answering message Castiel felt a little disappointed. He was about to go back inside when Dean’s front door opened.

Dean grunted as he pulled his boots on and made his way next door. He was preparing himself to knock only to stumble back a little when those bright blue eyes were staring at him, widened with shock or awe.

“Some things require hands on instruction...and I don’t want you burning the place down,” he added, though it didn’t sound as harsh as he’d expected. Granted, he wasn’t trying to be a jerk, Benny told him to cut that out and he was trying, but Dean wasn’t exactly a pleasant person even on his best day. 

“Oh...oh th-um, come on in,” Castiel said, quickly backing up to let his neighbor in. He blushed at the lack of well, pretty much anything in his house. He had a bed, an arm chair and a table to eat at. Nothing else.

Dean didn’t say anything further, just stepped into the place and got to work. He had to check that the chimney was still in good shape and was relieved to find that it just needed a standard sweep and he should be ready to roll. Once he cleaned it out a bit, he opened the flue, primed it, and then started building up the bed of ash and flintwood. 

“You don’t have to do all of this every time...just needed someone to check it for you. Once your first fire burns out you should be able to just add wood, light it up, and keep it stoked…” Dean grunted, “You’ll need to either buy wood or chop it yourself…”

Castiel nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. There was a pile of wood outside but he had no idea how to use an axe. He could try to figure it out though, he refused to be helpless! He stayed quiet as Dean taught him what to do in that brash way of his. Once he was sure he had it down he gave the Alpha a timid smile, “Thank you Dean. I appreciate you coming over to help me,” he said.

“Yeah, well don’t freeze to death.” Dean answered, packing his things back away, except for the broom. He had a spare and it looked as if Castiel could use one. He moved back over toward the doorway, ready to leave but he turned before he stepped out. “One more piece of advice, Cas. Don’t let being an Omega keep you from asking for help. There’s a lot of Alpha assholes out there who think they’re owed something just for existing, it wouldn’t hurt to take a lesson or two from them.” 

Castiel gave him a nod, awkwardly waving as the Alpha left his house. It had been nice having someone else in the room with him. Loneliness slammed into him just as the door did and he sighed heavily. At least it was warm now. He turned and sat right in front of the fireplace for a while, the warmth seeping right into his bones. When it started to go out he panicked a little. The wood pile was right outside, he could figure it out. 

Once he was properly bundled up he trudged outside and stared at the axe leaning up against their building with apprehension. Manual labor had been a huge no no for them. Swallowing down the spike of nerves he heaved up one of the large pieces of wood, needing both hands to lift it onto the block. The axe was even heavier and when he managed to eventually swing it down, he surprised himself that he was even able to do that and even more so when managed to sink the axe at least half way down.

That proud feeling quickly evaporated when he realized that the axe was literally stuck halfway down the piece of wood, “Shit,” he groaned, his head falling back.

Dean heard the thwack and peeked through the curtains. He huffed out a sigh but felt his mouth turning up at the corners. Cas did not pick a good time to get started considering it was nearly dark, but he guessed he probably should have offered the guy enough firewood to get him through until he needed to restock. 

Instead, Dean pulled on some thick layers and stepped back into his boots. 

_ ‘This kid _ ,’ he thought, but it sounded much more fond than he intended, so he added an extra bit of scowl to his face. 

Dean stood back, away from the scene, but close enough that Cas could hear him. 

“Pick the axe up, wood and all...and use all of your strength to slam it back down against the stump.” 

Castiel looked up and frowned at the angry expression on Dean’s face. He remained quiet though and used his already growing frustration to do what Dean said. The piece of wood broke in half with a satisfying thunk and Castiel beamed. He didn’t wait for Dean to tell him to break another piece, he eagerly grabbed another one and focused on his anger, on his frustrations over the last years and swung the axe down with all his might. This time the piece of wood broke on the first try.

“That feels good,” he gasped, his body trembling a little.

Dean nodded and then backed his way back to the house. The proud smile the Omega wore kept him from mentioning the fact that it was his own gathered logs that Castiel was splitting into halves. He guessed it wouldn’t kill him to gather some extra. It’s not like it would put him out to make sure they both had enough to stay warm for the winter. 

* * *

  
  


Benny pulled up in front of Dean’s townhouse and glanced up at it. It’d been awhile since he’d seen his best friend and after that phone call a few days ago, he was worried. He knew Dean wouldn’t pick up a bottle, he’d been sober for too long to throw it all away but still, Benny had to check up on him. He got out and pulled his coat tighter around himself. His hand was lifted to knock on the door when he spotted some strange contraption between Dean’s door and what he was assuming the Omega’s door. 

“What the…” he looked closer and snorted. The dry erase board was on the Omega’s side and Dean’s handwriting was easy to spot.

**_No Cas, waffles are not pancakes with holes in them…_ **

**_Are you insane?_ **

**_Did you crack your head open when you fell this morning?_ **

**_Yes I did see that by the way_ **

**_And I laughed!! HA!_ **

  1. **_Having GENUINE Waffles for breakfast tomorrow_**



**_Be here @9 if you want to be proven wrong._ **

  * **_**_Dean_**_**



  
  


Benny smiled, it seemed like Dean had taken his advice to heart and was trying. Relief swam through him and he was able to finally knock on the door.

Dean pulled the door open without turning around fully, “Look I told you man, I’m not listening to your new age bullshi-” 

He swallowed, “Oh...Benny….hi.” 

“Hi there,” Benny snorted, making it obvious he was looking at the sign and then back at Dean before raising a brow, “So...how’s it goin?”

“S’fine,” Dean muttered, moving further inside the house. He only had a second to realize the weird, sour feeling in his stomach was disappointment before he bit it down. Benny didn’t deserve that reaction so he ignored it and welcomed his best friend into the kitchen. 

Benny followed him in, taking notice that Dean’s house was still spotless and no traces of bottles or sour smell anywhere. He had absolutely nothing to worry about but it still felt good to be right. He took the glass of water offered and sat down on the bar stool, “Sorry to just drop in on ya but I came right after work. How are things?” he asked after taking a sip and placing the cup on the counter.

“It’s fine...was rough in the beginning but I’m ok, Benny.” 

Dean sat down across from him and gripped tightly around his own mug. It was a strange feeling, being on edge with Benny. It had nothing to do with the drink for once, instead he felt like every insecurity was on display. The man himself had never judged him, but the panic sat tight against his chest all the same. 

Benny eyed him carefully, “Then what’s this?” he asked gesturing at Dean’s entire body, “What’s got your panties in a twist right now?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know…” Dean shrugged. “Having an Omega next door is... _ weird,  _ but I’m dealing. He’s not so bad once you get past the...I don’t know, layers I guess.”

Benny nodded, “I can understand that. You’ve kept yourself away from them as much as you could and now you’re being forced to live right next door to one. I’m proud of you for tryin to be nice to him though,” he said with a knowing smile. The message board had to have been Dean’s idea.

“Yeah well...Sam-“ Dean started, and then cut himself off. The open wound in his chest roared to life with a visceral clenching pain that felt like it was going to split him in half. Still he pushed through it to say what needed to be said. “I’d like to think someone would have done the same for him.”

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them finding the need to really speak. Benny was grateful that there wasn’t a much more pressing issue and that Dean was fine. He was about to get up and head out when there was some stomping from the front of the house and a door slam.

“I’m assuming he’s home now?” he asked.

Dean winced. “I got a feeling he’s not enjoying the job market…”

Benny grumbled under his breath, “Nah man. The laws state that they are equal to us but they aren’t doing a goddamn thing about job placements. Only things out there for them are pretty disgusting,” he said.

Dean’s expression brightened immediately, “You know what you need, my friend? You need a bookkeeper, down at the garage eh? You’ve been bit-complaining about that for months, it’s perfect!” 

Benny sighed, “Yeah, it would be. If I didn’t have about a dozen jack asses who work for me. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving the Omega there, even if I am in the building. I can’t exactly fire ‘em for running their mouths but I can’t guarantee they won’t act out on that shit either.”

He wrinkled his nose in disgust, “If they’re assholes, why’d you hire them?” 

But he didn’t need Benny to respond for the answer to be clear as day, Cas couldn’t work at the shop. Dean sighed, nearly missing Benny’s comment entirely. He shrugged to himself, he wasn’t the Omega’s keeper, surely the kid would find something that wasn’t too terrible. Either way Dean would make sure they both ate well enough for a while so the pressure wasn’t quite so heavy. 

Benny watched as Dean completely zoned out. Even after trying to get his attention, Dean was gone in la la land. The only thing that snapped him out of it was a noise against the door. Benny shook his head. His friend was a damn idiot but he wasn’t going to say a word.

“I’ll get outta ya hair so you can keep playing telephone with your neighbor, call me if you need to talk brother,” he said clapping Dean on the shoulder.

On instinct, Dean growled. He rushed toward the door before Benny could open it and stood between his best friend and the exit. 

Once he realized what he’d done, heat filled his face and he knew from experience that he was flushed red with embarrassment. He’d practically just challenged Benny, who wasn’t even remotely interested, for a goddamn Omega that wasn’t even his.

“I uh-sorry…” he said, pulling away and quickly opening the door for his friend. 

Benny merely shook his head, “It’s alright Dean. Hey, he answered by the way,” he said with a wink and then jogged out to his truck.

**_That is not funny Dean!_ **

**_And fine, I’ll be there._ **

**_Cas_ **


	3. Chapter 3

  
  


**_Hot Cocoa is made on the STOVE, CAS!_ **

**_Not in the microwave, you Heathen._ **

**_Come over when you get home and I’ll show you how it’s done._ **

  
  


Dean stared at the board, still on his side...still unchanged. He frowned at it, Cas had been home for over half an hour and yet…

He erased the top half, made a few changes to the bottom, and sent it over again. 

**_Come over when you get home._ **

**_Conversation is optional, cocoa is not._ **

  * **_**_Dean_**_**



Castiel hurt all over. He didn’t want to move off his bed. Even from his room he could hear the tell tale scratch of the message board being moved from his side to Dean’s then back again. He wanted nothing more than to read it, to finally answer the Alpha. When he finally got home at four in the morning, he couldn’t make out the words he was so out of it. He attempted to sit up but just curled tighter into a ball instead.

There was no response that night, Dean drank a small cup of cocoa alone in his kitchen and told himself that everything was okay. 

It wasn’t okay, but he was getting good at lying to himself. 

That same message stayed on the board for three days and Dean might not have known Cas very well but he knew the guy well enough to know it wasn’t by choice. He’d been so excited about their earlier interactions, more so than Dean even...well more than Dean let on at least. Now there was nothing, and Dean was starting to get worried. Most of the time he blamed Benny for turning him into some kind of bleeding heart. 

When he realized he’d been quite literally waiting all night for the sound of Castiel’s door opening and closing to let him know he’d safely made it home, he knew it was a problem. 

“Jesus, it’s four o’clock in the morning…” Dean commented to himself, chewing at his lip.

Images of the stubborn Omega being stalked on his way home, left bleeding out in an alley, a multitude of sickening, paranoid thoughts entered his mind and before Dean could work out exactly what he was doing, he had his jacket and boots on and he was heading out to the garage. 

He’d just reached for the keys when the motion censored lights snapped on and Castiel’s hunched over frame slowly moved up the steps. 

Dean was a friggin’ idiot, but at least he hadn’t embarrassed himself by actually driving around the city looking for his little lost sheep. He waited until it was quiet again and then gently eased his door open, and shut again. The soft click was enough with the security features he’d put on his garage. Then he toed out of his boots and carried them upstairs with him. He was just about to head to bed when the soft whimpers seemed to echo through the walls.

Castiel didn’t even make it to his bedroom before he collapsed to the floor in a heap. He couldn’t do this anymore. Alistair was a sadistic bastard and Castiel could barely move. How he managed to get home was beyond him. He curled into the tightest ball he could and the sobs just wrenched out of him. Once they started it was impossible to stop.

‘Dean it’s none of your business…’ 

More crying came. 

‘He’s not your Omega...he doesn’t want your help.’

The walls were too thin for him to ignore the sounds of Castiel crying. There was a significant amount of soundproofing foam on his side of the walls and still…

‘He’s not Sam...he’s not yours...He’s-’ 

Then as clear as the sobs wrenching through the walls, maybe clearer...he heard his brother’s voice again, the same three phrases. 

_ It’s not about Alpha or Omega, Dean.  _

_ He needs help, you have the means and opportunity to help him.  _

_ What would Mom do? _

Fuck!

Dean took the time to make some hot cocoa, even if it wouldn’t be welcomed...it might get his foot in the door. He filled a large thermos with it and grabbed up a handful of marshmallows and cookies from his pantry and put them into a ziploc bag. 

He took a deep breath when he was finally face to face with Castiel’s door, but as the air escaped his lungs he forced his hand against the door with a loud, reverberating knock. 

“Cas, C’mon open up, I know you’re home.” 

The pounding at his front door made him flinch. For two seconds he thought it could be Alistair. Then he heard the voice. He let out a whine and tried to prop himself up but collapsed again.

“D-Dean...I-I can’t get up,” he said, hoping the Alpha on the other side could hear him.

“What the-” Dean didn’t hesitate, just opened the door and pushed through until he could set his eyes on Castiel. “What happened? Do you need me to call for an ambulance?” 

“No!” Castiel cried out, not wanting anyone else around him. He trusted Dean. Knew that it didn’t matter that Castiel was an Omega or whatever, Dean saw him as a person, “Please...no,” he said, trying to sit up again but whimpered.

“Tell me what’s going on or I swear to the Gods I’ll drag you out the ER myself…” Dean growled, his protective instincts were in overdrive and he wanted so badly to reach down and fix whatever was broken but Castiel was hunched over, curled in on himself and Dean couldn’t even  _ see _ the damn problem. 

Castiel shook his head, his hand reaching out and was a little surprised when Dean took it. The touch helped calm him a little. He pulled Dean’s hand to press against his chest and closed his eyes.

“I got a job, It was supposed to only be serving drinks,” he whispered, keeping his eyes firmly shut. He didn’t want to see the disgust on Dean’s face.

“The owner thought I was too...too  _ pretty _ to not be on the stage. I told him no. He said I didn’t have a choice. That he would...would train me himself so I would be ready for clients,” he said, his entire body began to tremble.

“Okay, that’s-you don’t have to say anything else...Cas,” Dean answered, not only wanting Cas to stop for his own well being but Dean was straight up about to murder a stranger if the Omega continued or gave him any details about who the Alpha was. 

“Welp that settles that...you’re quitting and getting a new jo-” 

Castiel’s eyes flew open as rage flashed through him. He threw Dean’s hand away and forced himself to sit up even though it hurt like hell.

“And where the fuck do you expect me to find a new job? There isn’t anything out there that doesn’t involve daily beatings and rape!” Castiel spat out, wanting nothing more than to punch the Alpha in the face. Which he tried to but didn’t get very far. It was a bitch slap if anything but it felt good to hit something.

Dean swallowed, allowing the sting in his cheek to remind him of Castiel’s independence. Something he certainly had a right to fight to keep. 

“Maybe that’s the case for  _ out there _ but I uh-I could use some help,” Dean started, and Castiel just stared at him. When he realized the guy wasn’t going to comment, he nervously continued. “And I have a friend that would let you help with the books, I can set you up in a small office at my place, if you’re interested.” 

“Are you being serious?” he asked in a hushed whisper. 

“I wouldn’t fuck with you about this Cas...I didn’t know-well it doesn’t matter,” he said, realizing he should have offered the same thing two weeks ago when he knew Castiel was frustrated and ready to take whatever was available. He hadn’t thought of it really, not til that moment but there was no reason that Cas couldn’t work from home and do Benny’s books and help him out with some stuff too. “I could use your help and pay you enough to take care of yourself, and put a little back in savings. It won’t be hundreds a night or whatever but you’ll be safe and you don’t have to deal with anyone’s crap, least of all mine.” 

“I wouldn’t have to go back to Alistair?” he gasped and didn’t realize he was moving until his arms were wrapped around Dean’s shoulders, “Thank you,” he managed to say through a sob.

Dean reluctantly let his arms close around Cas and he hugged him gently. 

“Shh,” he whispered, as the Omega continued to sniffle a bit. “Here- Dean said, going back toward the door to grab the thermos and baggie he’d sat down on the first available surface. “Here, I brought you some cocoa. Rest up, take a few days off to get yourself sorted, I gotta talk to a friend of mine and work out some of the details but you can start on Monday. In the meantime...if you need anything just, y’know, shout or something and I’ll be next door.” 

Now that he’d made the offer, Dean started to feel a little awkward. It was manageable but still, he knew he’d have a lot of work to do and not much time to get it done. He briefly thought about letting Cas work from his side of the duplex but then that wouldn’t help when it came to getting rid of people who ‘dropped in on him’ unannounced. 

He was just about to step out of the room again, when Castiel stopped him. 

“Dean...wait...I-I know we’re not...we’re not close but can you stay? Just long enough until I fall asleep? I can’t stand that I’m…” he let out a frustrated breath and shook his head, “I’m scared to be alone.”

Dean looked around the small apartment, no security...no protection. He would have to change that, just the thought of Cas staying there alone made his skin crawl now that it was brought to his attention. He should have taken care of it before, but there was no sense in focusing on the past. “Come next door with me. I have a spare room, spare bed and a top of the line security system.”

Castiel nodded eagerly. He just wanted to feel safe. Even if it was for one day or one hour, he didn’t care. With Dean’s help he got to his feet and whined, “I’m sorry,” he said when he had to lean against Dean.

“It’s okay, Cas. I got you..just lean on me.”

* * *

  
  


Benny read over Dean’s messages again now that it was morning and frowned. Something was wrong. Dean didn’t go into details, just that he needed to talk to him and it was a bit of an emergency. And that no, he wasn’t thinking about drinking. The only thing Benny could think of was that it had something to do with the Omega. Maybe Dean finally realized his heart wasn’t a block of ice and that he liked the guy? 

Who the fuck knows. 

_ Message to Dean _ : Hey, I’m up now sunshine.

As soon as the text came through, his phone vibrating in his pocket, Dean immediately called his best friend. 

“Hey,” he said, when Benny answered, his voice was still a little rough from sleep. 

“So I need your help. Gonna set up a little office space in the entryway and living room. I can’t do everything myself and get it all done in time, so...I’m calling you first, a few of the others if we need them but hopefully you and I can get it all-” 

“Whoa, hey. Slow the fuck down,” Benny grumbled, rubbing at his face, “Okay, try that one more time but with more background?” 

“I uh, I offered Cas a job…” Dean said, finally admitting what he hadn’t wanted to say. He was afraid Benny would judge him, which was ridiculous, but all the same...he felt more than a little embarrassed. “He needed to get out of the place he was working so I told him he could do some shit for me over here. And you, if...if you can figure out a way for him to work from here so he doesn’t have to deal with your asshole employees anyway.” 

Benny sighed softly, “Dean-”

“Look, I get it okay...but wherever he was working it-it wasn’t fit for anyone, Alpha Beta or Omega,” Dean said with just a tint of righteous fury. “You told me not to be a dick, this is me not being a dick. I couldn’t very well let him be beaten and raped and god only knows what else and just turn my head, Benny. So you helping or do I need to call a contractor?” 

Benny’s mouth dropped open. He had hoped that the Omega hadn’t gotten sucked into one of those jobs. Shaking his head he finally got out of bed to get dressed, “Of course I’ll help Dean. You sure he’s gonna be okay being around a strange Alpha right now though?” he asked.

“He went back to his place for a few hours, the quicker we can get his planned out and started, the better,” he said, pushing his pencil into his mouth as he continued to measure out the small space between his front door and the living room. “Grab a bite to eat and get over here. Bring enough for the two of us and extra for Cas. I’ll pay you for it when you get here.” 

Dean had almost offered to cook, but he was itching to get to work so that Cas wouldn’t remain in exile for too long. Though he did tell himself that as soon as the weather warmed up a bit, he was dedicating his weekends to fixing up the other half of the property. There really wasn’t a reason he hadn’t done it already, well besides the selfishness that made him throw money into the place he was staying first. 

Benny agreed and hung up the phone. He was quick to get all his stuff in order and grab his box of paper work that was literally a mess. He debated whether or not to go to their familiar diner. The staff that worked there was like family and he didn’t want to spend more time there then he had to. Thankfully the conversations were kept short and he was parking his truck outside of the duplex within at least an hour of Dean calling him. He quickly glanced at the Omega’s door and frowned. Whoever had hurt him better pray to whatever he believed in he never came across him or Dean. 

He didn’t bother to knock as he stepped in, calling out for Dean as he set the bags of food and his other shit on the table.

“Cool, you made it. Come here for a sec,” Dean said, “I was thinking a small but comfortable bench here, where we can make people wait, if necessary,” he started, gesturing to the space he’d cleared out. Then he led Benny back into the living room from the front entrance, and gestured between the two large wooden beams. “And then we could get one of those room divider screens, put him a little desk and chair right here. Maybe a file cabinet or something if he needs it, I don’t know but he could have his own little space here and that way he could deal with the  _ people _ and I could just do my fucking job without all the stupid fraternizing bullshit.”

Benny smirked, watching Dean talk with an excitement he had never seen Dean have. He kept a tight lid on the comments he wanted to make, not wanting to ruin this for his best friend. Instead he cleared his throat, “That sounds pretty fucking awesome but uh, you wanna eat this before it gets cold?” he said.

“Oh, food...yeah I’ll just go get Cas…” 

Dean rubbed at the back of his neck before he stepped outside. He took a deep breath first, and then pushed himself forward. Whatever Cas wanted, he’d make it work. 

Castiel was still in a lot of pain but had felt much lighter then he had all week. Dean’s offer for a job was still real and he’d stayed with him until he had fallen asleep. He even woke up that morning to find Dean in the arm chair, snoring loudly. It was probably one of the best sounds he’d heard in a long time. 

He rubbed at his freshly shaven face and jumped a little when there was a knock on the door. 

“Oh, Dean. Hi,” he said once he got the door open.

“My friend Benny is over, he brought food if you’re hungry. I thought we’d figure out some of the details if you’re feeling up to it,” Dean said, the words moving fast from his lips, almost too fast. He took a breath, and then started again, forcing himself to slow down, if only a bit. “But you don’t have to Cas, I can just bring you a plate if you’re not feeling up to it.” 

“No, it’s okay. As long as you trust him, I’ll be okay,” he said. Before leaving he grabbed up a thick hooded sweatshirt and pulled it over himself. He was hoping to keep some of the limping or winces hidden, the sweater helped with that. 

“Food sounds great, I’m starving,” he said, giving the Alpha a small smile.

“Benny won’t lay a finger on you, I swear. He’s a good guy but just in case you’re still worried you should know that he already has his eyes on someone else,” Dean answered softly, before opening the back door to his place and letting both of them inside. 

Castiel smiled a little wider and nodded, not saying anything else as they walked in. The strange scent of stranger hit his nose and he tried to hide the way he flinched from it. Only Dean’s hand on his wrist kept him from fleeing. It was a quick and gentle touch and Castiel calmed down. He mouthed thanks to Dean and continued to follow him to where the food was piled up.

“Ah, so you’re the mysterious neighbor. I’m Benny,” he said lifting his hand in a wave. He didn’t make a move towards the guy, knowing full well just how protective Dean was becoming over him.

“Hello, I’m Castiel. Or Cas, whichever is easier,” he laughed softly.

“Alright, let’s eat…” Dean said, not waiting for Cas’ stomach to rumble which he knew would come soon. The guy didn’t eat nearly enough, even before he was  _ working _ so much. 

He noticed that Benny had already done most of the work, plating everything but he grabbed some juice and milk from the fridge and then quickly piled the small pad of paper and pen from the junk drawer in the island.

As they ate, Benny and Cas made polite conversation, Dean tuned most of it out but he was more than a little distracted. 

Castiel found himself enjoying the other Alpha’s presence. There were no leering looks, no posturing, the man was a giant teddy bear. It was easy to see just how much he cared about Dean and even though they had literally just met, Castiel could sense that same concern was being shown towards him as well.

They talked through their meal and Castiel quickly took the plates towards the sink. Not because he was trained to do so, because he  _ wanted _ to. He was finding that there was a clear line between the two and it was as comforting as it was liberating.

Benny watched the Omega slightly limp and frowned. He wondered if he’d be able to get the name of the Alpha who’d done this to him. Maybe with time, Castiel would trust him with that information. Shaking his head he peered over at Dean’s sketches and smiled, “Damn, that looks great.”

“What is it?” Castiel asked stepped back over to the two Alphas.

“Uh-,” Dean looked up, fighting the urge to pull the drawing in against his chest to hide it. He wasn’t an artist, so the lines weren’t always straight and it didn’t look  _ right _ . Still...he guessed he needed to make sure that the space would work for Cas before they put it all together. “It’s just an idea…”

Castiel moved a fraction closer and gasped softly. It took a minute to register what he was seeing but when it finally came together he looked up at Dean with wide eyes, “This...this is amazing,” he said. Dean was creating a work space just for him. He glanced around the room and smiled. 

“You sure? You don’t have to like it...we could do something else, I just thought it could be nice, having you set up out front so I don’t have to deal with... _ people _ ,” he added, with a shiver of disgust.

Castiel laughed softly, his fingers tracing over the lines, “I love it Dean,” he said, the rush of gratitude almost making him do something stupid like hugging the Alpha again. He pulled it back though, not wanting to embarrass him in front of Benny.

“And, I figure with you helpin Dean out, you can help me out too. Once a week or every other week, if you could sort this shit out for me, I’d be grateful and of course, I’ll pay you hourly as well,” Benny said, pointing to the box.

Castiel scrunched up his face and looked at the box, “Oh...yeah, I can help you with that. Though, that’s a mess and will require a bit of time,” he said. Benny nodded in agreement and Castiel’s chest swelled.

“I’m also very good on the computer...if...if we can invest in one I can help pay you back for it,” he said.

Dean frowned, “Look, I get that you want to stand on your own but I don’t want you thinkin’ any part of this is some half brained attempt at pity…” He almost pulled Cas to the side to talk to him alone but he figured it wasn’t like Benny wouldn’t figure it out all the same. “Cas I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not the most  _ sociable _ guy in the world.” 

Dean heard Benny’s snort and glared at the man over his shoulder, though there wasn’t much heat in it. He cleared his throat and started again. “This isn’t some kind of Rescue the Omega ploy, hell if anything, it’s the other way around. Whatever improvements or changes I make to my home are my own responsibility and cost. You just gotta promise me one thing-well make that two, but one is kinda lame.” 

Castiel laughed softly and nodded, leaning his hip up against the counter, “Okay, what are they?” he asked.

Dean held up his pointer finger. “One, no feeling guilty or offering to  _ repay  _ me. That’s just..just no.” 

Castiel chuckled and nodded quickly, “Okay.”

“And Two,” Dean started with a grin, looking back over at Benny with a knowing smile. “Bela  _ ALWAYS _ waits.” 

Benny threw his head back laughing loudly as Castiel stared between the two of them, “And who’s Bela?” 

Dean felt a little devious just picturing her face as she sat there and tapped one of her ridiculous heels against the floor. “You’ll know her when you see her...actually, you know what. Let’s make a game of it. I will give you at least a dollar for every minute you can make her wait before she storms out of here, get it over an hour and I’ll bump it up to five.” 

“Dean that’s…”

“Cas, trust me. Making that woman wait is worth the pay out,” Benny snickered.

Castiel shook his head and held out his hand, “You have a deal and a promise,” he said.

Dean quickly, eagerly reached out for Castiel and grinned as their hands shook together on the matter. 

“Alright, now… go rest while Benny and I get everything set up, I’ll come get you for lunch.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you guys later,” he said with a warm smile. The temptation to not only hug Dean but Benny as well, to kiss their cheeks in thanks was there but he kept forward until he left Dean’s side and entered his own.

Benny watched the Omega leave and shook his head. Dean was completely and utterly gone on Castiel. He wanted to tease until Dean was purple in the face but he refused to end this...strange happy feeling his friend was experiencing. That, and Dean could easily shrink back into himself and stop helping Castiel. Benny couldn't do that. So he’d wait. It would be too bad, by the time he’d unload he’d have more than enough ammo to embarrass his best friend with.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is a long drawn out scene here and I swear, though it probably feels out of context it totally made sense to me when I suggested it, and we wrote it. lol Part of me just wanted to show how capable Cas could be at his job and another part of me thought it would be hilarious. I'm not sure if it will read that way but meh, if you don't like it you can skip over it and blame me <3! 
> 
> -swlfangirl

It took the better part of the weekend, getting everything  _ just so _ but Dean hadn’t wanted to ruin the moment of surprise when Cas took it all in. So he’d kind of banned the Omega from the front portion of the house at least. All that was left now, was shopping for the final pieces, mainly electronics and decorations. 

Dean went outside to leave a message on the whiteboard. While they’d both been quite a bit more brazen about knocking on one another's’ doors instead of using the little contraption, it made a warmth spread out in his chest whenever one of them used it. 

He was actually surprised to see a new message from Cas, already waiting for him. 

**_If you’re reading this before 9 a.m. come inside, I made way too much french toast._ **

**_(Yes it’s the way you make it and not in the microwave)_ **

**_If it’s after, come inside anyway haha._ **

**_Cas_ **

Dean grinned at the message, checked his watch even though he knew it was well beyond time for French Toast. He was  _ almost _ sad that he missed it. 

He was going to go ahead and leave his message but if Cas was busy he wasn’t sure exactly when the guy would take notice so instead he just walked over and eased the door open, “Casss it’s me, don’t freak out!” 

Castiel chuckled when he heard Dean’s voice. He stepped out of his bedroom and smiled at his friend, “Hello Dean. I saved you some if you’re hungry,” he said with a knowing grin. He’d learned so much from Dean, including cooking. He’d been taught at the center but it was to read the ingredients and when to add them. There was no love or caring involved. 

Dean changed that and now Castiel was not only flourishing with his skills that he already had but he was now starting to cook for the both of them.

“I could eat a bite… but I just came over to see if you wanna come shopping with me. I figured you probably know more about computers than I do and what you’ll need,” he said with a shrug, helping himself to the foil covered plate sitting on Cas’ countertop. “Then I thought we could hit up Target and get you some office supplies and like decorations or whatever you want for your desk.” 

Castiel nodded, “Sounds good. Let me get my shoes and take some blockers,” he said. He’d already had a dose today but being out in public sort of freaked Castiel out. Especially since they could easily run into Alistair. He took another pill and quickly tied up his boots before rejoining Dean in the kitchen.

“Eat a bite huh?” he said eyeing the nearly empty plate.

“S’was guud,” Dean said, with a shrug. His mouth still partially full of frenchy toasty goodness, so he couldn’t quite make the sounds right but he figured Cas understood. 

He finished swallowing, chugged the few drinks of milk he’d poured for himself and rinsed out his dishes before motioning his head toward the door with a smile back at Cas. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” 

Castiel followed, slipping into the beast that was Dean’s car. He’d been out with Alpha a few times before, mostly to get groceries and argue about the quality of the food they were buying. Knowing his job as passenger was to put whatever tape Dean wanted in the deck, he fished out the box and pushed a random one without being asked. He settled back and sighed as he got comfortable. 

“I’m thinking a laptop might be more efficient, especially if I’ll be working on Benny’s paperwork as well,” he said after a few minutes.

Dean considered it, but then hesitated. “I’ll get whatever it is you want Cas, as long as you’re not planning to take it home and so you can work after hours.” 

Castiel laughed softly, “I promise I won’t do that. We’ll see what they have. I have the specifications written down of what I would like to get,” he said. 

“Kay then, whatever you want sw-” Dean stopped himself, and the change was definitely noticeable, but he forced whatever he was feeling down a bit further and ignored it. He hoped Cas would have the good sense not to bring it up. He cleared his throat and added quiet, “Cas.” 

Castiel glanced over at Dean and nodded. It had been happening quite a bit recently. Dean would begin to call him something other than his name. He didn’t mind, he knew it came out of a place of that Dean cared for him. He wasn’t delusion to think it was anything more than that though. They were friends, Dean becoming a very close one at that. 

They stayed quiet until they got to the electronics store and Castiel couldn’t help growing excited as he climbed out of the car. He gave Dean a beaming smile as he almost skipped towards the door.

Dean shook his head fondly but followed Cas into the store. Once inside, there was already some dark headed sales rep practically purring in Cas’ ear. Dean pushed himself forward and got between the two even though Cas seemed to be fine with the attention. 

“Well if you need any help setting it up with the right applications, I can show you how…”

Dean grunted, shook his head. “You can show  _ me _ how, and  _ I _ can show him.” 

Castiel rolled his eyes a little at Dean’s over protectiveness but it didn’t truly bother him. He smiled up at Dean and then nodded at the sales associate, “We’re fine, thank you,” he said politely and gently touched at Dean’s wrists, guiding him over to where the laptops were.

Dean growled lightly and put on a forced smile toward the brunette as they left her behind. When Cas stopped moving, he forced his attention back onto the topic at hand and let Cas rattle off a bunch of information he didn’t understand. 

“I’ll be honest, Cas. I don’t know much about this stuff. Whatever you want though, that’s what we’ll get and if they don’t have it we can order it.”

Once again, Castiel had to fight the urge to kiss at Dean’s cheek. Maybe later when they were by themselves and they had the computer set up he’d do it. For now he just smiled and nodded, looking over the laptops. There weren’t many to choose from, much to his disappointment but there was a desktop that matched his numbers, if not better, and it was within a reasonable price and even had fancy changing led lights.

“This one,” he said, biting his lip as he watched the rainbow of colors shift.

“I thought you wanted a laptop?” Dean asked, frowning down a bit at the full sized desktop setup.

When Cas just shrugged Dean held his hand up and whistled over at the cocky brunette. She sauntered over, hip movements much more exaggerated than they needed to be but whatever,  _ hussy _ , Dean thought. 

“We want this...oh and we should probably get some sort of printer too Cas..pick one of those out and I’ll handle the details, ok?” 

“Okay Dean,” Castiel smiled and handed Dean the list of specs he had so he could deal with the associate. He wandered off to look over the printers, smiling to himself at the pissing match that was about to begin.

“Wow, spoiling your little Omega aren’t you?” Meg smirked, not able to keep her eyes off the beautiful man who was now kneeling down to look at the printers. Guy had a nice ass and a nice face to match.

“ _ Yes,”  _ Dean answered through gritted teeth. “Now he needs a laptop too, something with all of this,” he passed over the slip of paper, “And maybe some flashy lights like this one. That do-able?” 

Meg snorted, “Must be special. Yeah, it's doable. Will take about a week or two get it ready. You want it delivered here at the store your you want it at home?” she asked, becoming a bit more professional seeing as how the Omega was clearly spoken for.

“Here, I’ll come pick it up for him.” 

Dean thought about it and chewed at his lip. He knew it was ridiculous but it wasn’t like he had anything better to do with his money so…”Actually...that was his bare minimum I think, right?? Well it’s obvious I don’t know much about this stuff but how much for all the bells and whistles?” 

Meg laughed, “Oh, he's got you wrapped you around his little finger.” She grabbed up a notebook and wrote down some upgrades along with the pricing.

“You want the whole shebang?” she asked and grinned when Dean nodded. She handed over the paper that showed about a grand extra of upgrades.

“Yeah just figure it out, I’ll go ahead and pay for it now just make sure it’s good,” he said, cutting himself off to a quiet whisper as Castiel made his way back over to them. 

He used his eyes to plead with the brunette to keep their conversation secret, and she seemed to understand, thankfully. 

“Alright just get everything boxed up or whatever and Cas you can help them get it in the car?” he asked, handing over his keys without thinking about it. 

Castiel blinked a few times before nodding. The associate gave him a smirk and followed him outside to the Impala.

“That's some Alpha you got there,” she said gently placing the computer into the trunk.

“Mmm, yeah. He's...he's a good guy,” he said softly. Dean wasn't his but he didn't want to deal with whatever flirting the woman was going to put him through if he told the truth.

Though, a small part of him really wanted it to be true. 

Shaking of those particular feelings he forced himself to give the woman a smile before heading back inside to find Dean.

“Alright, looks like we’re done here. Now on to Target,” Dean grinned, carefully folding the receipt up quickly and stashing it in his wallet. The last thing he wanted was for Cas to see the price tag on their little trip. 

Castiel nodded and followed back out to the car. It was a short trip and he found himself jumping in his seat. He'd never been to this place before but heard so many things about it on Facebook. His own page was pretty pathetic but it helped to escape his thoughts if Dean wasn't there.

They entered the store and Castiel beelined it for the home decor area. He was quickly overwhelmed and thankfully Dean's hands on his shoulders calmed him.

“There's so much,” he gasped.

“Well we don’t have to buy out the place,” Dean teased, guiding Castiel into taking a few deep breaths. When his friend was finally calm, Dean continued. “Just make sure whatever you’re picking out is something that makes you smile when you look at it. Work is-well, for the most part you’re not going to be doing anything too difficult but it can be boring, it can be lonely, it’s- well it’s not meant to be fun. So surround yourself with shit that makes you happy so it doesn’t get to be too much.” 

Castiel swallowed around the lump in his throat and quickly nodded. He walked around slowly, touching everything and looking closely. He ended up with two large fake plants, several small knick knacks and an adorable collection of bee themed items. Dean had playfully teased him for it but gently placed them in the cart anyway. 

“What do you think, that feel like enough? You can always add to it later if you find something you like,” Dean promised. 

“Yes, all of this is so much more than I could have hoped for,” he said softly. He gripped at Dean's wrist and hoped it showed on his face how grateful he was for not only this opportunity but for Dean himself.

“Alright then. Let’s get out of here, grab some food, and then we can head home.” 

A warmth spread out through Castiel’s body and he had to clear his throat to get himself together.

“Yes….home,” he sighed softly.

* * *

  
  


When Dean made the appointment with Bela through email, he almost rushed downstairs to tell Cas about it. Instead, he called his favorite takeout place and figured he’d talk the Omega into joining him for lunch, where he could bring it up. Dean briefly considered setting up some kind of video camera just so he wouldn’t miss the look on her face but he knew that was going too far...wasn’t it? Probably was. 

When the doorbell buzzed half an hour later, Dean took the stairs two at a time and gleefully paid the delivery man. 

“Hey Cas, staff meeting!” Dean called, out, he loved using ridiculous work related terms like that, and they never failed to make the Omega smile, so win/win. Sure, maybe Cas rolled his eyes at him a time or two as well but it was always with a fond exasperation. 

“Yes boss?” Castiel asked coming out of his work area to meet Dean in the kitchen, “Food smells good, what's the occasion?” He instantly went to the cupboard and pulled a couple plates out.

“Today is the day,” Dean teased, pulling the containers out, moving the honey dipped chicken closer to Cas’ side of the table because he knew how much the Omega loved it. “Bela is coming later and you’re going to work your magic!”

Castiel rolled his eyes and laughed, “I know you’ll be around the corner listening or did you finally get those cameras up?” he teased, reaching out for a piece of chicken. He didn’t wait for an answer before digging in, “S’good,” he groaned.

“Oh come on, you know I didn’t put any cameras in...but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see the look on her face,” Dean said, popping a handful of fries over onto his plate. “That woman is one of the most arrogant, most  _ vile _ people I have ever met and I’ve not even answered the door the last dozen times or so they’ve sent her over. You’d think they’d get the picture but they don’t. I’ve told them over and over again that I’d try to deal with them if they’d just send someone else, but they’re all just about as grimy as Bela so I don’t know that it would help them either.” 

“I’m sure I’ll figure out how to handle her. I can handle you now, can’t I?” Castiel grinned, playfully tossing a fry at Dean’s forehead, “Honestly after everything, I’m sure I’ll probably just be bored listening to whatever crap she’s going to say.”

“Well...if she gets to be too much you can point her in my direction but I’m serious about the payday though. You get her to wait for more than an hour and you’re going to have quite a bonus this week,” Dean offered, “She’s not very patient though, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high.”

They continued to chat, mostly about work and some past experiences with Bela. The food was delicious and soon the containers were mostly emptied and Dean started to clean up, only to be shoo’d out of the kitchen by Castiel. 

“Holler if you need anything,” he said, before making his way back upstairs to get back to work. 

Castiel sat back down at his desk, quickly getting caught up on invoices and whatever else was being sent his way. He nearly had Benny’s entire workload finished, all he had to do was input a few more things and it would be complete. 

There was a knock on the door and Castiel grinned to himself. Right on time. He bit his lip and quickly clicked on skype, calling Dean before he got up to answer the door. 

Dean stared in confusion at his screen until he heard the voices floating up to the second floor. He smiled wider than he had in a long time before quickly accepting the call and plugging his headphones in, to avoid echoes. 

“You’re...new,” Bela said, her lips pulled into a pout. “I’m here to see Dean, I know the way up-” 

“Hello, you must be Miss Talbot, I’m Castiel, Dean’s assistant. He’s very busy at the moment, would please have a seat?” he said as sweetly as he could muster. He hated having to recall on the training he had received at the center but for this, he’d make an exception.

“A-A seat...you expect  _ me _ to wait for pretty boy Winchester?” Bela asked, ready to plow through the little assistant until a small spike of panic hit her nose and she was forced to back down. She was intimidating for a Beta, she knew this...still, the mousy little boy was likely an Omega and she wouldn’t be one of  _ those _ people who let her biology control the situation. She let out a long, suffering sigh. “Fine… but he’d better hurry.” 

Castiel nodded meekly, his eyes casting down, “Th-Thank you. It should only be a few moments,” he said and hurried back behind his desk. Bela huffed and looked down at her phone. Castiel took the chance to look at Dean on the skype call and give him a wink.

There had been something ugly, something wrong settling in his gut as he watched Cas interact with the bitchy Beta, but when his-the Omega came back to the screen and was still himself, Dean rested a little easier. Though, he almost felt like he should say something to keep Cas from degrading himself that way. It was clear that he didn’t like to be all coy and submissive, but it was working and Bela was waiting, so Dean wasn’t going to put rules on the game now. It would just make it seem like he didn’t want to pay up. 

Castiel sat and kept giving Bela warm smiles anytime she would huff and look up. When she fidgeted he flinched and she would stop instantly. Biting his lip he tapped his fingers and then picked up his phone, acting like he was talking to Dean through it and put it down.

“I apologize Bela, it should only be a few more minutes. Would you like some tea and shortbread cookies while you wait?” he asked.

“I-” She stared at the Omega, was he for real? Tea and cookies? “No, I just want to get this bloody meeting over with already,” she said, mostly to herself but the assistant flinched back and pulled away. Bela sighed, “I suppose a cup of tea wouldn’t be so bad…” 

Dean almost felt bad for her,  _ that’s  _ how good Cas was. He hated the woman with every fiber of his being but Castiel interacting with her for less than twenty minutes had him almost pitying her. 

Castiel beamed, bouncing on his toes a bit, pretending that it pleased him to no end that the Beta accepted his offer, “Great! I will be right back!” he said and hurried off into the kitchen. Once he was out of view he snorted and shook his head, taking his phone out of his back pocket.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Enjoying the show?

Castiel laughed to himself and hurried to make the tea and warm some of the cookies he and Dean made the other day in the oven.

_ Message to Cas: _ I almost,  _ ALMOST _ feel sorry for her. 

_ Message to Cas: _ Keep up the good work! 

Castiel grinned and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He enjoyed a cup of tea to himself, leaning up against the counter until he heard Bela’s very loud exasperated sigh. Only then did he place everything onto a tray and scurry back into the room.

“Oh I am so sorry! Here, here’s the tea and cookies,” he said and gently put the tray down on the table, “Let me see if Dean’s ready now,” he said and quickly stepped behind his desk. 

Bela watched the little thing move and she was surprised Winchester hadn’t already gobbled him up. The boy sure as hell smelled like prey, even to her Beta nose. 

“Yes, you do that. And you tell him I am not someone to be kept waiting. He can either let me in or-” 

“Yes, yes I will. I’m so sorry, the conference call he’s in should not have gone on this long, I do apologize and thank you for waiting so patiently,” he said and swallowed hard, forcing his eyes to water a bit as he pretended to struggle with the phone. This time, he actually did call Dean upstairs.

“Mr. Winchester? I’m so sorry to bother you but-” 

“Cas? Are you-are you crying?” Dean asked, a hard jab in his chest made it feel as if his heart was clenched too tightly. He growled, on instinct, wanting nothing more than to rush downstairs and push the beta out of his home. “So help me if she’s said one wrong word-” 

Castiel waved his hand in front of the camera until Dean looked at him and gave him a smile, “I-I know sir, I know the conference call is very important but Miss Talbot has been waiting-”

“Oh you’re-damn...that’s good Cas, you should be a fucking professional actor,” Dean said softly, before he quickly raised his voice so loud that he knew Bela would hear. 

_ “And she can wait some more, I’m not the one that pushed for this fucking meeting. It’s a corporate conference call, checking in on our employees is important to us...maybe she’s not used to that level of fucking concern from her own slimy bosses, but ours can damn well expect it from us.”  _

Castiel flinched and nodded, “Yes...yes sir. I understand,” he said and then hung up. He could tell that Bela was now very uncomfortable and he gave Dean a wink on the camera to let his friend know he wasn’t bothered.

“W-would you like some more tea?” he asked timidly.

“No,” Bela huffed, ready to excuse herself all together but there had been a reason she was pushing the meeting. Her boss had given her an ultimatum, land the account with Winchester, or find new employment, so it didn’t appear that she had much choice in the matter.

She smiled through gritted teeth. “No thank you, but you tell your boss I’m  _ not _ leaving this time.” 

Castiel blinked a few times when he saw a flash of something in her eyes. It wasn’t stubbornness but more like fear of something. He gave her a nod and started to type a few things before pulling his phone back out.

_ Message to Dean: _ Are you sure you want to continue and not really hear her out?

_ Message to Cas: _ Oh don’t tell me she’s getting to you??? I thought you were stronger than that Cas…

_ Message to Cas: _ She’s evil, like...actual evil in human form…

Dean sighed and rubbed at his temples. He wasn’t sure he liked all these changes Castiel was making in him, but he guessed it wouldn’t kill him to hear her out...as long as she wasn’t being her usual ‘charming’ self. 

_ Message to Cas: _ Ugh, if you can get out of her what she needs without her being an utter bitch to you, I’ll consider it. 

Castiel gave him a smile and nodded. He let another minute go by before standing up with a notebook in his hands, “I’m so sorry Miss Talbot. This conference call...there must be something going on that we hadn’t planned for. I know it’s not my place and I’m sure I’ll get a word or two for overstepping but is there anything you can tell me that you need that I can pass on to Mr. Winchester?” he said softly, sitting down in the chair next to her.

Bela huffed out a sigh, and she knew it wasn’t exactly ideal but if going through his goddamn assistant was what it was going to take, she’d do it. She hadn’t given the last ten years of her life to that goddamn company only to be stepped over because Winchester couldn’t get his head out of his ass. 

_ “AS MR. WINCHESTER KNOWS, _ ” she started, seething a bit under the skin but she pushed it back. “Our agency represents some of the top talents in the country. Recently, they’ve been asking more questions about  _ Winchester Security _ because while  _ elusive _ , he is apparently one of the best.” 

Dean snorted,  _ ‘one of, yeah right.”  _

“What was tha-” 

Castiel simply shrugged and faced her more, blocking her view of his computer, “And what exactly are you looking for? What type of contract?” he asked.

“Well...While I’d love nothing more than to be discussing this with the man himself...confidentiality agreements require that I not give you too many details,” she said, forcing herself to continue. “We’d want to draw up at least thirteen protection detail agreements, and then minimum requirement of fifty home equipment installation contracts.” 

Bela rubbed at her temple, “We’re willing to pay an exorbitant amount of money to grow his staff, however he likes. He can find them, train them himself.. But I’m not sure he can currently fulfill our requirements so the sooner we get this started, the better.” 

Dean swallowed, that was a lot to take on and Bela was right. He had a good team, had grown them from five to over twenty guys but still nothing compared to what she was asking. 

Castiel stared at her with wide eyes and nodded. The deal was too good to be true and he swallowed hard, “Just...give me a moment,” he said and hurried off to his desk. He glanced at Dean in the camera and bit his lip. He wrote down, What Do You Want to do? And showed it to him on the camera.

Dean chewed at his lip. 

_ Message to Cas: _ Call me again, I’ll be down in a sec but you are  _ NOT _ leaving me alone with that devil woman. 

Castiel smiled and drew a cross over his heart before picking up the phone to call Dean, “Mr. Winchester?” he said once the phone picked up.

Dean made a fake exasperated noise, “What is it now?” 

“If there is any way you can excuse yourself from the conference call, I believe this deal with Miss Talbot to be an important one. Something you’re not going to want to miss out on,” he said softly.

Dean sighed, barely able to keep the smile from his face. Cas did good... _ real good _ . 

“I’ll be down as soon as possible, maybe set everything up in the  _ executive lounge _ ?” Dean said with a small grin, just as he suspected Cas rolled his eyes at him. It warmed his insides in a way nothing so simple ever had. 

“Dean is on his way down now. Would you follow me please?” he said, standing up and gesturing towards the kitchen. Once they were in the other room, Castiel quickly made up a pot of coffee and pulled out a box of some of their sweet bread. By the time he had three mugs filled, the tell tale sounds of Dean’s boots on the stairs could be heard.

Dean carried a few files with him as he stepped into the kitchen. The sweet smell of the vanilla bean coffee Cas had picked out, was heaven to his nose. 

“Mr. Winchester, Finally...it’s good to see you again.” 

Dean snorted, “Sure it is. Look, we don’t like one another, there’s no point in pretending but if you wanna do business together, communication is necessary. At some point, I’d be willing to let someone else handle your contract so I didn’t have to, unfortunately there’s no one qualified as of yet,” Dean said, doing his very best to not look at Cas. Though, it didn’t work because his eyes always seemed to hone in on the Omega if he was in the room. 

“As for your deal, tell me what you need and I’ll tell you what I can give you, and we’ll figure out how to make up the difference,” Dean answered, pulling the warm mug to his lips. 

“Well, seeing as you’re actually here this time, I can’t think of any reason we won’t be able to make this arrangement work in the best interests for both parties.”

“Alright then, let’s get to work.” 

Castiel beamed at Dean and listened in on their conversation. He liked that if he did have a comment, Dean actually listened and so did Bela. There was even a time or two that Castiel actually solved a particular argument that to which neither of them could see a resolution. 

All in all, Castiel was pretty proud of himself and Dean when there was a new contract between the two, freshly signed with Dean’s name on it. He saw Bela out and genuinely blushed when she kissed his cheek.

He closed the door and smiled brightly at Dean, “Well, that went differently than what we expected,” he laughed.

“Certainly had a different ending,” Dean grinned, pulling out his wallet. “But seventy five minutes Cas, not bad...I think that’s,” he paused to do the math in his head, He’d promised Castiel Five dollars a minute if he made it over an hour and he did. “What is that, three hundred eighty?”

“Wait, no it’s three seventy five,” Dean corrected, tugging a handful of bills out. 

“Oh, Dean, you don’t have-” Castiel laughed as the money was all but shoved into his hands. He knew better than to argue with Dean. And now that they were alone, he did what he’d been wanting to do and kissed his friend on the cheek.

“W-what was,” Dean cleared his throat, hoping his voice sounded a bit clearer, “What was that for?” 

“For everything Dean. You’ve been such a good friend to me,” Castiel fumbled with his hands and laughed a little, “I’m just glad I was able to do this for you,” he said.

“Yeah- well...you’re uh, you’re good too,” he said, feeling more than a little awkward.

They stood there for a moment and then Dean smiled at him, raised his cup of coffee, and ran away like a little bitch. 

Castiel ducked his face down and laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

Castiel got out of the shower and quickly put on his clothes. Ever since the deal had been made with Bela, Castiel had been extremely busy with phone calls, appointments and keeping Dean’s schedule up to par. Not only that but Benny’s business was busier than usual as well. 

He enjoyed it though. He got to spend the day with one of his favorite people and he had plenty to keep him busy. 

Biting his lip he quickly went into his fridge on the way out and grabbed the pie he had made in secret last night. He’d overheard Dean and Benny talk about desert and watched as the way Dean’s eyes glazed over talking about his mother’s pecan pie. It probably wasn't the same, not nearly, but he had put everything he had into making it.

Castiel hurried next door, using his own key to enter the house, “Dean?” he called out, hurrying into the kitchen to put the pie on the counter.

“Be down in a second!” He called out, carefully placing the sticky side of the bow  _ just right _ , on the lid. 

He looked over it a couple more times but nodded to himself. There was no doubt Cas would know exactly how much it set him back once he got to looking into it, but he genuinely didn’t care. Just imagining his ridiculous smile was enough to put away any worries he might have had. 

Castiel smiled once he heard Dean’s voice and continued on to get his computer booted up. There were about ten voicemails already and he sighed. He loved this job. Anything was better than the hell he’d gone through with Alistair but he couldn’t think of any place better than being Dean’s assistant. He was safe, had a home and a friend he knew he could rely on. Dean still had his moments but Castiel knew to not take them personal anymore.

He sat down and started to play the voicemails through speaker phone, his fingers typing up the notes to go over with Dean.

Dean whistled a happy tune as he made his way downstairs. He was careful with the machine but his excitement didn’t allow for him to linger at all. 

“Staff meet-holy shit is that pie?!?!?”

“Yes, I uh, I made it last night,” Castiel said rubbing the back of his neck. He noticed the rather big box in Dean’s arms and blinked, “What’s that?” he asked.

“Uh...company bonus,” Dean swallowed, not realizing how  _ heavy _ the box was going to feel under Castiel’s awed expression. 

“Bonus? Dean,” Castiel sighed, shaking his head fondly as he took it out of Dean’s hands. It was pretty heavy and he couldn’t help biting his lip as he gently put it on the kitchen island. He could feel Dean’s eyes on him as he opened it, a sharp gasp leaving his lips once he saw the picture of the laptop.

“Oh...oh my God! Dean!” he cried turning to stare at his friend wide eyed.

“It’s-it’s ok?” He asked, almost nervous about the gift even though the scents hitting his nose were way beyond what he would consider mildly  _ pleasant _ .

“It’s...It’s  _ more _ than okay! You didn’t have to do this. This is wonderful thank you!” he said and before he knew what he was doing, Castiel wrapped around Dean, hugging him tightly.

He’d never been this close to Dean before. Sure he’d kissed his cheek once and they sometimes stood close together but this? This was on a whole other level. It was the first time he ever caught Dean’s scent and his eyes fluttered with it. Spicy cinnamon and the scent of warm wood filled his senses. 

He yanked away from Dean as if he’d been burned and gasped. He could feel it now, searing heat slithering it’s way through his veins.

“Oh...oh shit,” Castiel groaned.

“Cas? You-you okay?” Dean asked, careful not to touch the Omega who was clearly startled by something. 

“I...I um...I have to go. Now,” Castiel said and practically threw himself out of Dean’s house and into his own. He got himself locked up into his bedroom before he pulled out his phone.

_ Message to Dean:  _ I am so sorry. My heat came out of nowhere. I haven’t had one in a really long time.

“Oh,” Dean said to himself and then, “Ohh…” 

Fuck. 

_ Message to Cas: _ Are you okay?

_ Message to Cas:  _ Do you need anything?

_ Message to Cas: _ Do you need me to leave?

_ Message to Cas: _ I can crash with Benny if you want me to. 

Message to Cas: What about food? Do you need food? I have a friend, that’s an Omega that could bring you some stuff...if you need it?

Castiel groaned as overwhelming sense of  _ need _ started to ride through him. He curled up in a ball as his phone vibrated like crazy. It took a minute or two for the cramps to subside before he managed to look at all the messages. Dean was insane but he still made Castiel smile even if he felt horrible.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Calm down Alpha.

_ Message to Dean:  _ I’ll be okay. Just need a few days. I’d rather you didn’t leave but that’s up to you. I know an Omega’s heat can make some Alphas crazy.

_ Message to Dean:  _ I don’t think I need anything food wise, I’ll let you know if I do though.

Dean frowned down at his phone, but he was more than a little relieved that Cas would let him stay there. It was reassuring that his- _ the _ Omega trusted him enough to keep him close through such a delicate time, but also Dean was pretty sure he’d be going nuts if he couldn’t  _ know _ that Cas was safe and protected. The laws were finally progressing, sure… but they weren’t perfect and Omegas living on their own took quite a few risks when it came to heats. If there was an Alpha nearby that sniffed them out, they could potentially be in a lot of danger with little or no repercussions made for the Alphas that just took what they wanted. At least Dean knew that while he was standing guard, there wasn’t a chance in hell any Alpha was going to get between him and Cas. 

_ Message to Cas:  _ Take care of yourself. 

_ Message to Cas: _ Let me know if you need ANYTHING

_ Message to Cas:  _ I’ll watch out for you. 

_ Message to Dean:  _ Thank you Dean. You’re the best.

Castiel set his phone back down and tried to relax. It never took long until his heat would ramp up to excruciating levels. Thankfully, he’d at least thought to prepare. He had new toys hidden under his bed and he quickly got them out.

If a pair of green eyes just so happened to come across his mind a few times, he was the only one to know about it.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Dean was restless, he pulled his pillow over his ears and hummed Metallica songs until he felt like his ears were bleeding. Still, nothing could drown out the sweet sound of Castiel’s release through his already padded, sound proofed, walls. 

_ “Fuck,” _ he whispered to himself, grinding his hips into the bed to relieve some of the pressure on his swollen cock. 

He forced himself out of the bedroom, dragging his pillow and blanket downstairs until he could stretch out on the couch. 

It had been two and a half days and Dean hadn’t slept more than a couple hours. He was unable to focus on work, unable to focus on anything really, nearly burned his kitchen down when he caught a whiff of Cas’ scent through the goddamn window. 

Just as he was about to give in and take a cold shower to show his dick who was boss, there was a small beeping alert on his phone and without even checking to see who or what it was, Dean pushed himself out into the winter breeze. 

“Can I help you?” he growled, an oily looking man was sniffing the air next to the curb by Castiel’s driveway. 

Alistair lifted up his face and drank in the scent of his missing Omega. He grinned slowly and turned towards the Alpha who was glaring daggers into him, “Nnnn, think I finally found him,” he said with a slight snicker.

“Found who exactly?” Dean asked, moving closer toward the curb, his arms crossed over his torso. 

“My precious little Omega who ran away from me,” he said nonchalantly as he started to make his way towards the door. There was a high pitched whine that he recognized instantly and smiled wickedly, “The sounds he makes….mmm,” he groaned.

“You step one foot further on my property and I’ll tear your fuckin’ throat out,” Dean said, a toothy, feral grin on his lips. 

Alistair laughed, “My, my you are protective. Did he service you as well? Good little slut that he is... _ my _ Castiel,” he seethed. Another whine filled the air, more panicked this time and Alistair fed off of it.

“No Castiel here,  _ friend _ ,” Dean answered, using his shortcut keys on his phone to dial Benny. He wasn’t scared of the other Alpha, but he knew Benny well enough to know the man would record the conversation for him and Dean needed the evidence. 

“This is my property and you’re on it...now I’ll kindly ask you to leave one more time before I escort you off the premises myself.” 

Alistair's eyes flashed as he sneered at the Alpha. He would just have to come back later when Castiel would be more alone. He held up his hands and backed up slowly.

Castiel was in a whirlwind of different emotions. Fear. Panic. Lust. Gratitude. The moment he not only scented but heard Alistair's voice he panicked and dove under his bed. Then Dean's voice came. It was like a balm soothing over his wounds.

He clutched at his phone and typed shakily.

_ Message to Dean: _ Thank you

Dean bit his lip, he wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to know who the fuck that was but now wasn’t the time, so he kept quiet. He was dead set on protecting Cas himself but if he was being honest with himself he was more than a little distracted by  _ everything _ , that was Cas going into heat.

_ Message to Cas:  _ I’m going to get Benny over here...and I have a friend, Beta Cop. I’m going to ask her to keep an eye out. 

For all of two seconds Castiel was scared of another Alpha being so close. It was Dean. It was Benny. Two of the most kind hearted people he had ever been fortunate to meet. Having Benny around would mean more protection against Alistair and he wept with relief.

_ Message to Dean:  _ I wish I could hug you right now. I can't tell you how much this means to me. Hearing Alistair’s voice again...I can’t even move out from under my bed.

Dean let out a feral growl when he read over Castiel’s message. That sleazeball had been the one to touch him, hurt him? He raged for a long minute, his sub verbal growls nearly shaking the ground beneath him.

Meanwhile Dean had forgotten Benny was on the line until the motorcycle sped to a jerky stop in front of his house. 

“Whoa, what's got you all growly now?” Benny asked as he swung his leg over the bike. His own hackles were on the rise at the mention of some posturing jackass making claims on the Omega. Not to mention him and Dean were damn near mated, if not true mates at that. Benny just hadn't broken the news to his poor deluded best friend yet.

The sound came out garbled with his pent up rage, but he hoped Benny understood, “Alistair.”

Benny's face paled. Dean had given him a few details about Castiel’s previous boss, including the bastard’s name. His own rage was rising but nothing compared to Dean's. He was about to try and calm him when Dean's phone beeped.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Dean I'm okay. I can scent your anger. I'm not scared anymore. You're here and I know you won't let anything happen. I trust you.

The message on his phone wasn’t quite the same as hearing the words from Castiel’s mouth but it was something, it was  _ enough _ . The beast fell back a little and Dean took a deep breath. “Call Jody….I meant to do it myself but-but you should.”

Benny nodded and quickly did just that. Within the next twenty minutes a squad car was parked outside and Jody Mills was doing a walk around the place.

“You should get some rest Dean. You look like shit. And go eat some of that pie on your counter,” Benny said gently pushing him towards the kitchen. 

“What if Cas needs me? I can’t-” 

Benny cut him off before he could finish, pushing him further into the house where Cas’ scent was somehow melting through the walls. Dean felt instantly at ease, and he leaned over, gently laying his head over his arms on the island counter. He couldn’t detect even a hint of lingering panic or fear wrapped up in the sugary sweet apple warm scent of  _ Cas _ . 

Castiel was still suffering through his heat but it wasn't nearly as bad as the last two days. Dean's scent was stronger now, less ragey and more calm. It put himself at ease and smiled for the first time in days.

“You're a good Alpha Dean,” Castiel said.

“You deserve a goddamn chance to-to do whatever you gotta do without greasy asshole Alphas trying to hurt you, Cas...Nobody deserves that, least of all you,” Dean answered, sighing to himself as he reached for a fork, ready to dig into the pie. It looked amazing and while he knew he’d need to sleep at some point...the lack of food in his stomach was his first concern.

Benny looked over at Dean slowly. At first he thought Dean was talking to himself then the guy reacted, like something was being said back to him. Shaking his head he turned back to the tv.

“Thank you Dean,” Castiel said softly. He couldn't believe Dean could hear him through the wall being so far away from it. He peeled himself off the couch and moved into the kitchen as well. Dean's scent was much stronger and he couldn't help sighing softly.

“Are you finally eating the pie?” 

“Fuhking ahmahzing,” Dean answered in response. He groaned around the delicious bite of caramel, pecan goodness and closed his eyes. When he finally finished chewing that bite, before he quickly pushed another into his mouth, Dean added, “You found my weakness, Cas.” 

Castiel laughed softly, his mind providing him images of Dean scarfing down the pie next door and smiled even wider.

“I'm glad you're enjoying it,” he said and looked at his fridge sadly, “I'm hungry but don't really have the energy to do more than grab the protein bars.”

“Let me order some food, Cas. Jody can bring it in for you...you need to eat.  _ Actual food _ , not just tiny ass protein bars,” Dean answered, already texting an order in to Jo. 

_ Message to Joanna Beth:  _ I need food STAT, double $$ just grab whatever is quick and a bunch of it. Enough for at least five people. 

_ Message to Dean:  _ Say please, asshole. 

_ Message to Joanna Beth: _ Please, asshole. 

_ Message to Dean:  _ You’re freakin’ hilarious Dean...it’s hard to see how you’re still unmated. 

He didn’t respond to that because it him a little harder than he knew she meant for it to. Dean had been adamant that he didn’t want a damn mate for years, and they teased him often enough about his surly demeanor but then Cas happened and...and Dean got to thinkin’ maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He should have known though, that the Omega liked him well enough because he was safe, because he wouldn’t push himself on him, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he was mate material. 

“It’s already ordered, just get something to tide you over if you can and food will be here soon,” Dean promised, sitting his fork down on the counter. Cas was just being nice, the pie...it didn’t mean anything. 

Castiel teared up, not even attempting to hide the sniffling he knew Dean could hear.

“You're too good to me,” he said softly. He looked up at the wall and was suddenly slammed with such a deep longing he whined.

“I want to see you,” he said and then lowered his head down on his arms. Dean was too good  _ for  _ him. 

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Cas...I’ll uh, I’ll see you soon though, as soon as your heat is over okay? We’ll take the day off work and just veg out on the couch all day like a couple of lazy slobs…” Dean offered, though he wanted nothing more than to do exactly as Castiel asked. He wanted to march right over there and wait on the Omega hand and foot until he was ready to face the world again, but Dean knew it was dangerous. Castiel wasn’t just an Omega, he was an Omega Dean was fostering a friendship with, and an Omega he found attractive. Dean prided himself on impeccable control but Cas was the one thing that seemed to threaten that. 

Castiel laughed a little, “You promise?” he asked even though he already knew the answer. Dean had never lied to him and probably never could. It was one of the many things he adored about the Alpha.

There was another wave of heat stirring in his belly and he tried to fight it off, not wanting to lock himself in the room and lose Dean's voice.

“Promise,” Dean vowed, a small, sad smile on his face. 

He sighed down at the pie on the counter top and moved into the living room where Benny was watching something...on the tv. Dean didn’t really pay attention as he sat down beside his best friend. 

“You ok-” Benny stopped in mid sentence when a loud moan broke out, “Ah.”

“I-We should go...patrol or something,” Dean grunted, not wanting to tease himself with the sounds Cas was making, but also, and more importantly, he was very unhappy with the thought of Benny overhearing, even though he completely trusted his friend. 

Benny wanted to argue but in the end he followed Dean out of the house and began walking around the place, waving at Jody as they passed.

Alistair hummed in delight when the two Alphas vacated the premises. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has explicit details of attempted rape. It doesn't actually happen, but the intent is there and I don't want anyone being triggered so please take care of yourself!! If you'd like the details of this chapter without being triggered you can always hit me up on tumblr or something and I'll give you the deets <3 -Swlfangirl

Alistair knew that there was still that Beta cop nearby but it wouldn't matter. The scent blockers he took were the strongest the black market could provide. He moved silently, quickly hiding when the patrol car passed by. As soon as she was out of sight once more, he picked the lock and snuck inside.

Castiel collapsed back on his bed, his entire body covered in various forms of liquids. He laughed a little at himself and got up only to still when there was a creak on the stairs. Dean wouldn't….Benny neither….Castiel’s heart stilled for a beat and then practically exploded in his chest when Alistair's face appeared in the hallway.

“NO!” he screamed, pushing his door closed and locking it. He didn't know how the hell Alistair got in or past everyone. It didn't matter. He scrambled back from the door as he heard that familiar sickening laugh then there was a tapping at the door.

“Little ooooomeeeeega.”

Castiel couldn't breathe, he was gasping for air and couldn't pull enough into his lungs.

“DEAN!”

“Mmmm, your idiot Alpha can't help you now precious. You're mine...remember?”

At the loud thud that followed Castiel screamed again and out of nowhere he felt his panic and his fear being projected out.

_ DEAN! ALPHA! _

  
  


_ “Cas?”  _ Dean’s panicked call sounded muffled to his own ears. 

“CAS!!” he roared, his feet moving faster and faster as he tore off toward the house. Dean nearly ripped the door off the hinges in his rush to get to Cas, but he didn’t even care. His Omega was in danger. 

“Shit! Benny! Benny!,” Jody called out, before rushing in behind Dean. She hadn’t heard much about the Omega, other than the fact that he had a stalker of some kind. But the way Dean was acting-that feral sounding roar, implied his neighbor was much more than just a friend. 

Alistair growled when he heard the front door of his Omega’s house being slammed open. It was time to stop playing games. He kicked the bedroom door open and marched in. He sneered at the whimpering boy and broke the outside door handle off. That idiot Alpha just got upstairs when Alistair grinned and shoved the door closed. He grabbed at the chair by a desk and pushed it under the remaining part of the door handle.

“Now...shall we teach him how an Alpha properly cares for an Omega?”

“Get the fuck away from me! DEAN!” Castiel tried to duck away but there was only so much room. He'd barely just pulled a shirt on but nothing else. Maybe...maybe if he just gave in then it wouldn't hurt so much…

There were so many waring scents going on in the house Benny nearly got lost in it but there was a panicked whimper...a sound of giving in that even Benny was beginning to turn feral. He was right behind Dean who was clawing at the door, kicking it with all his might.

There was a short moment, just the simple sound of Castiel’s voice calling out for him, lulling his human brain back to the surface. That bit of temporary clarity was enough to have him aiming for the hinges until they splintered off under the force of his boot heel and his fists. 

He stalked into the room and pulled the Alpha back by the neck and slammed his head through the first available surface, which just so happened to be a concrete bookshelf.

Castiel instantly curled in on himself. Alistair had just pinned him to the bed when the foul stench was pulled away. There was so much noise going on around him, too much shouting.

“Dean! Stop! You’re going to kill him!” Benny yelled, trying to yank his friend off the other Alpha. Jody was struggling as well. Alistair was barely conscious, muttering something but that damn, disgusting, creepy smile spread over the guys lips and uttered.

“Precious Omega…”

“Fuck! Dean, stop!” Benny said, losing his hold just enough for Dean to get a few more swings in.

“Keep talking you won’t have a working body part left to touch him with!” Dean growled, positioning his claws dangerously close to the Alpha’s most sensitive parts. 

Castiel finally fought through his fear and sat up to see Dean damn near close to losing himself completely to the animal. They never shifted anymore, the animal parts of them laying so dormant it was never a  _ thing _ . He shouldn’t have found Dean so amazing in that moment being so close to murdering someone else but it was all out of his need to protect Castiel. He stifled a sob that wanted to rip through him and quickly got out of the bed.

“Cas, no stay back man,” Benny said.

“He won’t hurt me.” Castiel moved in front of Dean’s line of vision and cupped his face, “It’s okay, I’m here. You stopped him.”

“Cas-Cas,” Dean said, the nickname falling so easily from his lips, even in his feral mind there was Cas. There was warmth and safety and home and  _ mate. _

“He won’t stop….he will just keep coming back-“

“He won’t, Dean. I’ll make sure he goes away for this, whatever it takes,” Jody answered, but Dean’s face didn’t show any sign of recognition. 

Benny didn’t want to leave Dean alone but when he shared a look with Castiel, he knew it was the right thing to do. Castiel would take care of him. He gave the Omega a nod and helped Jody drag Alistair out of the room and then out of the house.

Castiel watched them leave and then somehow got his door as shut as it could be, “Hey, look at me Dean,” he said going back over to the hard breathing Alpha. Dean was trembling, his breath coming out harsh and when Castiel touched him again he was burning.

“Dean, I think you’re going into a rut,” he said softly, cupping Dean’s face again. He’d been taught for so many years that when an Alpha went into their ruts, it was their job to just submit and lay still. That the Alpha would take whatever they wanted. He’d been so scared of that happening to him but as he looked up into Dean’s face, he didn’t feel a trace of fear.

He smiled up at his friend and swiped his cheeks with his thumbs, “You saved me Dean, protected me,” he whispered and then pulled him in for a tight embrace.

Dean couldn’t help it, his hands moved on their own, just checking that Cas was real and safe and fine...not a mark on him, thankfully...it had been so close, made the beast inside him howl with rage. But the words were true, Cas was okay, he was protected...he was safe. 

Once he was back at himself enough to realize the rest of what the guy had told him, Dean backed away,“Cas-I-I can’t, don’t-you don’t want this, I don’t-want to hurt you…” 

Castiel let Dean move out of his space to take a breath before he was slowly moving back to touch at Dean’s shoulders, “You won’t. Even in a rut, I know you won’t. The mere fact that I’ve been over here swamped with heat and still am...you haven’t done anything against my will. I trust you Dean, let me be there for you through this,” he said with a warm smile.

“I-don't-I don’t know,” he said, still not able to trust himself. Only a moment prior he’d been half out of his mind, if anything set him off.... _ no _ he couldn’t let it happen. “We should go next door...and you can, you can stay in the guest room. It has a passcode lock on the inside, you need somewhere safe…” 

“I am somewhere safe,” he said with little to no hesitation. He took Dean’s hand and didn’t let the Alpha have another word as he quickly got them over to Dean’s place. The Alpha did try to push him towards the guest room but Castiel shook his head, “I’ll only go in there if I feel you’re being to pushy, I promise,” he said and gently pushed Dean into his bedroom. A place he’d never been in before. He barely looked around, just wanting to get Dean to lay down.

“Do you need anything? Water?” he asked.

“No I-” Dean frowned, “Why are you like this?” he growled.

His instincts were going wild, and sure he would have loved to bury himself in something warm and tight and wet, but more than anything he just wanted to take care of Castiel and the Omega was being one stubborn sonuva bitch about it. 

Castiel just looked down at him, a wave of sadness coursing through him for a second before he swallowed it down, “Because I care about you Dean. I know how much it sucks to be alone during this, trust me I’ve done it enough times. And now that I know deep down to my soul that you’d never hurt me, I want to be here,” he said and then cupped Dean’s face.

Dean growled, but it was a short, unhappy noise that was quickly over. He sighed right behind it and shook his head at the ridiculous Omega. “For now...just for now, I’ll feel more comfortable, if you’re in the guest room. Can you do that for me please? Just-Just for now. Just let me...let me get you safe and then I can…” Dean felt himself blush but he made a jerking motion with his fist that would do well enough to explain. “Once that’s over, you can come back out… I’ll be better.” 

“Okay,” Castiel said and was almost out of the room before he stopped at the door, “I’m um, gonna grab some pants from my house real quick and then i’ll lock myself in your guest room,” he laughed, blushing a little.

“I’ll go with you-” 

“Dean,” Castiel snorted, “Do you have something I could wear instead?” he asked, knowing full well that Dean was not going to let him out of the house now.

‘Yeah, just…” He said, rattling through his drawers. There were plenty of shirts that would fit but not much in the way of pants. Cas’ frame was much slimmer than his own. Dean still pulled some boxer briefs out and rolled them up in a pair of thick sweats, trying not to imagine how perfect they would smell when his own scent mixed with Cas’. Forcing those thoughts down, Dean offered the clothes in one hand and tried to focus on taking small, shallow breaths as to not be overwhelmed by it all. 

“Here.” 

Castiel took them and gave Dean a nod. He slipped out of the room and found the guest room to step inside. The scent of Dean on the clothes was soothing as it was intoxicating and he got dressed he could feel the last dregs of heat go through him. 

He leaned up against the door and slid down it, hugging his knees close to try and keep his hands off his own body.

* * *

  
  


Castiel let his head fall back with a deep sigh. Now he knew what Dean must have been going through the last few days. Listening to that was…

He couldn't even finish that sentence in his own head. The floor was beginning to hurt his ass but he stayed where he was for a while, wanting to give Dean time to come down a bit. There wasn’t really a way for him to tell how long he’d sat there but eventually, Castiel got up and slipped downstairs. He grabbed a couple bottles of juice and some water from the fridge along with an ice pack in case Dean needed it. He’d learned from the center that some liked to put it on their knots if they were just masterbating alone. Just as he was about to head back upstairs he spotted the tin of pie where some was still left on the counter that he quickly warmed it up and brought with him as well. 

“Dean?” Castiel called out once he was outside the Alpha’s door again.

Dean grunted as his dick twitched from the sound of Castiel’s voice alone. He did feel better though, more in control; which honestly wasn’t saying much. For a few moments he wasn’t even sure he was human, though the violence, that was  _ all  _ him. 

He tucked the blankets in around him to make sure he wasn’t showing anything before he responded. He didn’t want Cas to think he was trying to make a move on him, because he couldn’t cover himself up properly.

“Ye-yeah,” he started, and then cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah, come on in.” 

Castiel moved inside, closing the door behind him, “I brought something,” he said and sat the drinks and warm pie down on the nightstand before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“You’re ridiculous, don’t you need to be uh--y’know, taking care of yourself?” Dean asked, before flushing when he realized exactly how it sounded. The truth was he just wanted Cas not to worry about him, it made his stomach twist and he felt like he was taking advantage. They were co-workers, friends even, but they weren’t- even the thought of them not belonging together was painful for him but Castiel sure as hell deserved better than an Alpha of convenience..

Castiel merely shrugged, “My heat burned out a bit ago. I’m exactly where I want to be,” he said.

“Oh, okay…” Dean answered, clearing his throat. The stench of sex was still in the room and Cas smelled fucking amazing. It almost made Dean want to report the blockers as a damn crime, but Cas deserved the right to hide his scent if he wanted to, and after everything that had happened to him, Dean sure as hell didn’t blame him. 

“I uh-I don’t know what to say, sorry...this has to be  _ so fucking awkward _ for you.” 

“It would be if it were anyone else,” Castiel huffed out a laugh and got back up to open a window, knowing Dean was probably bothered by his own scent. Castiel knew when he was in heat, he smelled gross. 

“And before you even start or begin to think it, no, I’m not here or feel that way because I  _ owe _ you. It’s not that at all,” he said before returning back to where he’d been perched on the bed.

“You’re a good friend, Cas...but this seems a little above and beyond, you know that right? This.. you don’t have to do this,” he answered, chewing at his lip a little. Dean knew he should just fall to his knees and be fucking grateful but the thoughts of Cas  _ settling _ made the twist in his stomach even more uncomfortably knotted up. 

Castiel looked down at his hands and let out a slow breath, “I haven’t been honest with you,” he said softly, keeping his eyes glued to his fingers twisting together, “You’re the best friend I have ever had in my entire life. But I can’t deny the other feelings that I have for you Dean, not anymore.”

“Cas you-,” Dean shook his head. “I’m not trying to be a jerk here...I don’t want you to think I’m trying to say that you’re stupid or anything else but you just got out of a really bad place a few months ago and you’ve not really been…” he hesitated, not wanting to say  _ exposed.  _ “You don’t know many other Alphas. I just think there’s someone better out there for you.” 

Hurt and disappointed rammed into his heart and Castiel swallowed hard, “Isn’t that  _ my _ decision to make? I’ve met other Alphas, Dean. Plenty of them were paraded around for us at the center and then the ones at Alistair’s club. I’ve been around Benny plenty enough. He’s just as sweet of a man as you are but I still want  _ you _ ,” he said and got up, “But I know you don’t want me like that. I’m sorry I keep pushing myself on you like some disgusting typical Omega. I’ll leave you alone,” he said and headed towards the door.

Dean reached out before he could stop himself and pulled at Castiel’s wrist until he was back on the bed. 

_ “I don’t ever want to hear you talk about yourself like that again,” _ Dean growled, blinking back to himself after a brief moment. “I-sorry, I just-you shouldn’t say those things Cas. You are  _ anything _ but typical, and I mean that in the best way. You-You’re wonderful...Don’t you see, it’s not that I don’t want you I just don’t want you to settle for a guy like me.” 

Castiel’s heart leaped at Dean’s admission, no matter how small he kept himself calm, “Well, I don’t think I would be settling. I think I would have the damn jackpot,” he said, gently twisting his hand until their fingers were weaved together instead, “A big, strong, over protective, stubborn ass Alpha. Who, even though he would never admit it, has done nothing but look out for me from the moment I moved in. Yeah you were a dick in the beginning but you didn’t have to come outside and give me your coat. You didn’t have to come over and help me with my fireplace. The message board? All  _ you,  _ remember?” Castiel laughed softly.

“You even gave me a job, a safe place to be and earn money on my own. When you could have easily just made me stop paying rent. You got me to make my money and I’ll have you know. Working for you and Benny hasn’t been easy,” he grinned.

“I see what you’re saying sweetheart and I-I don’t want to argue with you. But all those things, well...most of those things, that’s just basic human decency. It’s the bare minimum of what you deserve,” Dean said, shaking his head. But he squeezed at the warm fingers between his own, half terrified they’d be gone again, half wishing Cas could see himself as Dean did, then he’d know he deserved so much better. 

“You’ve been treated so bad for so long that even the smallest gestures  _ feel _ big. That’s not the same thing as being treated how you deserve, Cas...you should be-” Dean stopped himself, a puff of air escaping his lungs as he sat up toward the edge of the bed a little. “You deserve  _ everything _ , not just some growly asshole who happens to be nearby and treats you like you’re a person.” 

“I know but Dean, you just don’t get it,” Castiel laughed a little, “Benny treats me like a person. But he doesn’t go out of his way to make me food or buy me expensive gifts like the computer. Yes I know you’re going to claim that as some...work bonus but c’mon, even I’m not that naive,” he grinned, scooting closer.

“In the beginning it was different but now, I know for certain that  _ you _ are my Alpha.”

“Benny’s not exactly  _ eligible _ though-” Dean started, but was cut off with a finger to his lips. The warmth of Cas’ skin against his mouth made everything a little  _ too _ tempting but he was able to reign it in, at least for a little while longer. 

“Let’s just...relax. I’ll stay here with you through your rut, snuggle with you even if you get all growly at me,” he laughed, “And afterwards...if you still want me outside of this rut and heat cycle, we can do a long courting,” he said with a shrug.

Dean wanted to object but honestly he just didn’t have any fight left in him, not with Cas so warm, so close, and the scent of that delicious apple pie on his night stand. 

“Okay, I uh-can you just, give me a second, let me get dressed and I’ll um, we can watch something on Netflix or something,” Dean promised, feeling his face flush. He could have easily just grabbed a pair of underwear from the night stand and pulled them on without flashing too much skin but again, he didn’t want to push any of Cas’ boundaries, he’d been through enough for one day. 

“Sure,” Castiel said and stood up from the bed, leaning in to give Dean a kiss on his warm cheek, “Take all the time you need.” He noticed Dean’s cell phone on the floor flashing and he scooped it up, tossing it at Dean as he backed up towards the door. He gave Dean one more smile before leaving the room.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Hey, you alright there brother? You and Cas finally figure it out then?

_ Message to Benny: _ Fine...might be out of touch for a couple days but fine.

_ Message to Benny: _ Figure out what? 

_ Message to Dean:  _ yeah, thought you went into a spontaneous rut. Don’t worry, we’ll get things covered on the work front.

_ Message to Dean:  _ That you two dumbasses are mates? Might even be true mates by the look of things. 


	7. Chapter 7

Dean sat his phone down and quickly dressed himself, he put on his softest sweats that weren’t loaned out and grabbed a clean shirt just because. When he got back to his phone it was already lit up with messages from Benny. 

_ Message to Benny:  _ Not funny, asshole

_ Message to Benny: _ He deserves better 

  
  


_ Message to Dean:  _ Not trying to be funny, asshole.

_ Message to Dean:  _ When have you ever known me to make light of shit like this? Or even joke about mates?

  
  


_ Message to Benny: _ Shutting my phone off. If you need me, you know where to find me. 

_ Message to Benny: _ Don’t need me. 

Dean did just that, turned his phone off and left it on the nightstand before straightening the room up a little. He knew it was stupid, Cas was literally just in there but, he couldn’t help himself. 

When he finally got everything cleaned up, he reached for the remote and got comfortable, well as comfortable as he could, in bed, before calling Cas back in. 

“I’m uh, I’m ready when you are...to watch tv,” Dean winced, God he was a complete moron whenever Castiel was around. 

Castiel had busied himself in Dean’s kitchen, making himself a sandwich along one for Dean if the pie didn’t fill him up. He gathered up the items and hurried back upstairs, “What did you want to watch? Whatever is fine with me,” he said, kicking the door closed. He put Dean’s sandwich next to the pie and climbed in to prop up against the headboard next to Dean.

“What are you in the mood for? Comedy? Drama? Romance?” Dean teased, though he would be fine with anything as well. Honestly, just sitting beside Castiel was more than enough for him. 

Castiel laughed softly, “Oh cause I know you love those Romantic Comedies oh so much, we can watch that Crazy Rich Asians one,” he said with a shrug.

“Okay, sure.” Dean answered. 

He queued the movie up relaxed back into his pillow a bit as the credits roll forward. 

The movie played and while he wasn’t quite willing to confess he’d already seen it, he knew his attention was wavering back to that text he got from Benny. 

_ True mates? _

The fact that Cas would choose him at all was shocking enough, but the GODS chose him for CAS? That just seemed too good to be true. 

Dean took a bite of pie to keep himself from talking through the movie, Cas was interested in it and he didn’t want to ruin it. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a hardship to watch it a second time. The best friend made him laugh and the main characters were all pretty hot. 

Castiel didn’t remember a time where he laughed so loudly and so much. He was leaning up against Dean without even realizing it for quite some time, but even when he did, he didn’t move. Dean didn’t seem to mind either so he stayed right where he was. The food was gone, even the pie. Dean had even given him a small bite but that was it. Castiel laughed and teased him but didn’t fault him for it. Too soon the movie was over and the heat that had been increasing along Dean’s body was fever hot now.

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked softly. 

Dean nodded, “Guest room, please… so I don’t have to worry.” 

Castiel nodded, squeezed Dean’s hand and leaned in to give Dean another kiss on the cheek before hurrying out of the room.

* * *

  
  


It was a rough couple of days, but they pushed through and Dean was relieved when at the end of it, he hadn’t pushed Cas or taken advantage or even thought about doing anything worse. 

They were still hanging out, Cas hadn’t brought up leaving and Dean sure as hell wasn’t going to, not without first making some serious upgrades and repairs over at Cas’ place. 

“You like it okay?” Dean asked, as Castiel’s fingers moved over the keyboard of his new laptop.

“Yes, I love it,” Castiel smiled, a swell of fondness sweeping over him at Dean’s happy smile. It made him sad that it took nearly a week to even get his hands on the new laptop but it was worth it. 

“I was thinking of making you and Benny a new website with this thing, it has a much better art program,” he said biting his lip. It wouldn’t even be work for him at this point. He loved doing web design even though they’d barely glanced over it in the center. Just the possibilities of what he could create for not only Dean but Benny as well.

“That something you’d enjoy?” Dean asked, not wanting Cas to make more work for himself when he was already doing such a good job and moving things forward in a way that even Dean couldn’t have imagined. The contract with Bela alone would allow him to double his work force and maybe even find some way to help some other newly independent Omegas.

“Mmhmm,” Castiel hummed, “I know there are certain new avenues that you would like to take, building a better website works faster at getting the information out there anything else does,” he said with a knowing smile. Though Dean’s rut had been spent mostly apart, on the down times they’d talked. A lot. Castiel knew what Dean wanted to accomplish and he was proud of the Alpha for it.

“Well we need staff, big time. Most of my guys were already busy when Hurricane Bela blew through, but even if I pulled them all, there wouldn’t be enough,” he agreed, “Whatever you think will work, set it up. But...you don’t have to do this in your off time, Cas. You get to have a life outside of work now.” 

Castiel chuckled, “I know Dean, and I do enjoy my days off. This is actually fun for me, something I enjoy,” he said and gently closed the top of the laptop, “I want to get out of the house for a while, would you want to come with me?”

“Uh yeah-” Dean answered, as if that was a complete no-brainer, which it was. Fuck if he was going to let Cas out of his goddamn sight for a while, not unless he was forced to at least. Sure, if the Omega said he needed space, Dean would give it, but not if he didn’t ask. 

Castiel beamed at him and got up, “Okay, I’m going to go take a shower and change,” he said. He carefully packed up his laptop and carried it to his own side of the house so he could set it down on his kitchen table. He kept the shower short and debated on whether to take his blockers or not. His scent would attract others but he didn’t want to hide it from Dean. Especially when both of theirs would mix. Biting his lip he grabbed the bottle and shoved it into his pocket, just in case. 

He was back over on Dean’s side in less than thirty minutes.

Dean was slightly on edge the whole time, even though he could hear Castiel moving around his place, completely fine, not at all in distress. 

_ He was a mess _ . 

_ Message to Benny: _ Resurfacing…

He chewed at his lip for a minute or two and quickly sent the message he’d been holding back for days. 

_ Message to Benny: _ You really think we are?

  
  


_ Message to Dean:  _ Good to hear from ya.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Never once doubted it, brother.

Dean hesitated a bit longer but Castiel was walking through the house and he didn’t have time to respond, not without getting caught at least. He pocketed his phone and pulled on an over shirt, before heading downstairs. 

“Ready when you are, Cas.” He grabbed the keys from the dish on the counter where Cas was standing. He smiled and squeezed his shoulder. “Where we headed?” 

“I was thinking we could go to the strip mall? It’s sunny outside and a little warmer than it has been,” he said, “And I know it’s silly but I really want ice cream right now.”

“Sure, sounds good.” 

Dean held the door open for Cas and then locked it up tight, security code and all. When he went toward the garage, the broken door seemed to move slightly and grab his attention. “Remind me to stop at the hardware store too...you need a couple new doors.” 

Castiel snorted, “I totally forgot about that,” he said shrugging it off. He refused to focus on the horrible things that could have happened if Dean hadn’t been quick to get back to him. Instead the memory of them laughing on Dean’s bed watching horrible movies and sharing funny stories filled him.

“I want to get something for Jody too,” he said as they got up to the car, his head ducking shyly as Dean opened the door for him.

“We’ll figure something out,” he answered, making sure Cas was tucked in safely before shutting the door and making his way around his baby to get behind the wheel. 

The drive to the mall was overly pleasant, most of it spent listening to Dean’s music. Once they arrived, Castiel waited for Dean to get his door open, the both of them staying close as they walked up. The first thing they got accomplished was getting some ice cream. They walked as they ate though, enjoying the sun on their faces. 

They hit up several stores, Castiel buying little things here and there. Only using the money Dean had given him for the Bela Exchange. Most of his money was in savings or used to buy things for his side of the house. Now though he didn’t mind splurging a bit here and there.

It wasn’t until a couple hours later that Castiel was starting to feel hungry again.

“There’s a little bistro over there we can eat at,” he offered. At Dean’s nod they quickly crossed the street and got a table outside on the enclosed patio. 

Dean had thought the smell of  _ other  _ and  _ Alpha _ would drive him insane, or put Cas on edge but it didn’t. Cas smelled fucking amazing and nobody had been weird or so much as even sniffed at him in a noticeable way and it made something pleasant purr in his chest when he realized it was because Cas still smelled like  _ him. _

“You order, I’ll be-I’ll be right back. Just holler if you need me, one second…” Dean said, more reassuring himself than Castiel but he’d seen something he just had to get and thankfully the restaurant wasn’t too crowded. 

“This here, with some of these, please,” Dean asked, quickly passing the money over without hesitation as he waited for them to be gently bundled together. He offered a quiet thanks before heading back across the road to where Cas was waiting for him. 

“For you, Sweetheart,” he offered with a flourish. 

Castiel blinked a few times before smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, “Oh...thank you!” he said, wanting nothing more than to hug the flowers to his chest. He did bury his face into them and took a deep breath, “They’re beautiful,” he said.

“Yeah, well you deserve it.” 

Dean sat down and sipped at the water the waitress must have brought while he was gone. 

“You’re staying at my place for a while...right?” Dean asked, trying not to show just how interested he was in the response. Part of him wanted there not to be a question at all, but Castiel was his own person and he could make his own choices, even if they were ones Dean didn’t like. Secretly though, he really hoped that Cas wouldn’t mind sticking around, at least until he’d made sure the other side of the condo was safe. 

“If you don’t mind,” Castiel answered as he touched at the flower arrangement. It was adorable and would fit perfectly on his desk, “I’ve gotten comfortable staying there, even if I’m stuck in the guest room,” he said playfully, nudging at Dean’s foot with his own. 

“I-” Dean couldn’t help it, he flushed, “I don’t m-mind so much now, I mean, I-just, not when I don’t feel like I’m in control…” 

“I understand Dean, really I do,” Castiel said, “You have to give yourself credit though Dean. Not once did you try to get in that guest room. Not even in the height of your rut. Even while I was in heat, I know you could hear me and yet...you protected me instead of taking advantage. Hopefully you can see why I trust you so much.”

Dean chewed at his lip, “Benny uh, he said something a while back and I didn’t bring it up because I thought it was just… I didn’t know if I could trust it, still don’t but you make a good point and...I want us to have the same information, so you should know.” 

He swallowed and took a deep breath. “Benny thinks we’re true mates.” 

_ True Mates. _

The word rang through Castiel’s head like a bell. It had been eons since he heard that. It was almost a bad word in the center. Probably didn’t want to give the pathetic Omegas any kind of hope of finding a mate for love. But there it was. 

He wanted to laugh it off but the look on Dean’s face stopped him. Everything began to factor in. The way they could hear each other through the walls, how Dean was able to control himself through not only Castiel’s heat but a rut right after. Anyone else it would have driven them mad. And now that he was really noticing it, no other Alpha had come up to him while they'd been shopping. They’d stayed clear away from him.

Castiel looked up at Dean and smiled, reaching out for the Alpha’s hand, “I-I think he might be right.”

Dean should probably be shaking Castiel and telling him to ask the Gods why such an incredible Omega was so clearly being punished, but the smile on Cas’ face was enough to stop him. Even if he knew he didn’t deserve Cas, the Omega himself, didn’t seem to realize it. So, Dean figured he’d stop looking a gift horse in the mouth and just try to be  _ better _ , be  _ worthy _ , for Cas. 

“I don’t know, Cas… but if that’s the case, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.” 

“I will too,” Castiel said, ducking his face down for a moment before giving Dean another smile. Their food was brought out just then and Castiel had to take his hand out of Dean’s to make room.

“C’mon, let’s eat. We can work all the logistics out later,” he answered, fighting off the heat from his cheeks just thinking about sharing a bed with Cas. It wasn’t like he was expecting anything sexual, Hell, not for the first time in his life Dean wasn’t even sure he  _ wanted _ anything like that. But the opportunity to wrap himself around Cas for the entire night, was turning him into some kind of blushing virgin. 

Castiel nodded eagerly and started to dig into his pasta. They barely talked but Castiel was fine with that, both of them were pretty hungry. There was no rush to finish quickly but Castiel found that he wanted to get back home. Now that there was a change in their relationship, he wanted to explore it. To talk about it without prying ears and eyes. The Alphas may have been leaving him alone but there were a few Betas making eyes at Dean that didn’t sit well with him.

Dean left a hefty tip and grabbed up Cas’ bags. 

“Home?” 

“Yes, home.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, like Dean, feel no shame for my Tombstone references. Val Kilmer was fucking amazing in that and don't even get me started on Kurt Russell And Sam Elliott, okay? Okay! Come at me!

They were curled up on the couch together, watching another horrible movie of Dean’s choosing when Castiel yawned. It was getting late but he didn’t want to go to sleep. Especially by himself in that guest room again. He just wasn’t sure how to broach the subject just yet with Dean. In all his teachings, a part of his brain expected things to go from zero to a hundred from the moment they somewhat declared their feelings for each other.

Castiel was relieved that wasn’t the case. They’d barely touched since leaving the bistro, only Dean’s hand on his back or wrist being their only contact. Castiel did kiss him on the cheek a couple more times. Once just to see Dean blush. 

“I’ll be your huckleberry,” Dean grinned along with the video, until he turned to see Cas’s eyes drooping. 

“Ready for bed, sweetheart?” 

“No, no I’m okay,” Castiel said, clearing his throat and shifting a little. He couldn’t stop his eyes from drooping though. Not even rubbing at them was working.

“C’mon, stop being ridiculous. We can finish this off some other time...or  _ I can,”  _ he teased. “Let’s get you to bed.” 

Dean lifted Cas into his arms with ease and carried him gently up the stairs, the Omega stirred just a little but he didn’t protest. He eased Cas beneath the covers and gently tucked him in before dropping a soft kiss to his forehead. 

When he pulled away Cas clutched at him a little and it made him smile, but Dean whispered his reassurances softly. “I’m just going to shut down the house, sweetheart. I’ll be back to you in no time.” 

Castiel swallowed hard and nodded, relief and happiness surging through him as he watched Dean walk out of the bedroom. He giggled like a mad man as he laid down, getting comfortable in the blankets that smelled like Dean. Groaning softly he starfished out a bit and giggled again.

Dean set all the alarms, made sure the doors were locked and straightened up their little fort nest in the living room. All in all it didn’t take him but a few minutes, before he was able to get back upstairs. Mostly because he was just excited to hold Cas in his arms. He hummed happily as he made his way up the stairs. 

Castiel forced himself to stay awake and was rewarded in the end when Dean came into the room with the softest smile he had ever seen on the Alpha’s face. He couldn’t help returning it and playfully threw the covers down on Dean’s side.

“You’re ridiculous,” Dean teased, but suitably followed direction and climbed into bed. 

Castiel wasn’t sure what to do at first but did what felt good and right. He moved closer and snuggled his face right against Dean’s chest. He was so warm and felt perfect, Castiel found himself clinging a bit to the Alpha.

“You sure this is okay?” Dean asked, always cautious. He sometimes worried that if they got too close, too quickly it would be overwhelming; not only for Cas but for himself as well. 

“I’m sure. Is it okay for you?” Castiel asked, looking up and tilting his head to the side a bit.

Dean smiled, soft and easy. “Yeah, it’s better than okay.” 

He squeezed Cas a bit tighter to emphasize how much he enjoyed the fact that he  _ could _ . “I don’t want to rush this, but this...this is good, I could hold you forever and die a happy man.” 

Castiel sighed softly and snuggled deeper against Dean, “I don't’ want to rush either. This feels really good though. Take all the time you need to fixing my doors,” he teased.

“You could… you don't have to go back, Cas. I don’t want you to feel pressured here, but if you don’t actually want to move back in, you don’t have to,” Dean said, softly. The dark, the quiet room, and the warm scent of his Omega made it a little easier to voice his thoughts. 

“You really mean that?” he asked, sitting up a little to look down at Dean. When he got a firm nod he moved before he could stop himself and kissed Dean on the lips. He yanked back with warm cheeks and laughed softly, “I’m...I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Dean answered. It was barely more than a peck but still his blood sang from the short press of their lips. “I was uh...I was actually thinking we could try to fix the place up a bit, and we could either combine the two or…” 

Dean bit at his lip, not knowing how Cas felt about the smaller size of his place. It wasn’t exactly a tiny house or anything, but it wasn’t extravagant or grand. If they knocked out the middle walls it would be much more open and probably the size of a regular home. 

Still…

“I was thinking we could rent the other side out again, specifically to an Omega who needs a place. Or a couple if they’re willing to cohabitate…” 

“I’d like that,” Castiel said, laying back down his head under Dean’s chin, “If we could help out another Omega like you helped me...that would be amazing,” he whispered as a thousand different thoughts began to run through his head.

“That’s what I was thinking...and if we could prove that Omegas could handle...well, not to be blunt, but difficult jobs, and that they could find success there. There’d be no reason that they couldn’t find better opportunities and make it on their own if need be,” Dean added, “I don’t want anyone to feel the way you felt that night I offered you this job. I know we can’t save everyone, I know there’s people that have it worse, but we have to do what we can, right?”

Castiel teared up and allowed for a few to fall as he clung tightly to Dean, “Yes, yes we can,” he said, his eyes fluttering shut.

Dean held his Omega for a while longer, both of them quiet as he took in the moment, the silence, the weight of their conversation. He dropped another quick kiss to Castiel’s forehead and smiled against the warm skin there. “Get some sleep, we’ll work out the details tomorrow and I can get a couple guys to help with the repairs so they go a little quicker. For now though, we sleep.” 

* * *

  
  


Surprisingly it only took them a couple weeks to get everything sorted out. The last week was purely Cas’ doing though. Dean and Benny and a few guys with the local contractor had the doors replaced, the porch fixed up, and other minor cosmetic stuff fixed around the emptied out condo in the first week. 

He could tell that Castiel was trying to make it as much home-like as he was able to even as the construction was going down, but it was also clear that his Omega wasn’t happy with the results. It took him a few beats to figure out what was bothering him, but then Dean smiled at him and said, “I think we should rent it furnished, don’t you? We’ll be here to make sure there’s not any loud parties or property damage and I think that just makes more sense.” 

Castiel had been overjoyed and spent the next week picking out and ordering furniture, and then waiting for it all to be delivered. 

“You good now?” Dean asked, as they looked over the fixed up condo. It still wasn’t perfect but it was a far cry better than what had been waiting for Cas. Dean almost felt bad about it but it didn’t linger too long when he remembered that now his Omega was being cared for properly. 

“Yes, very,” Castiel laughed, turning to hug around Dean’s waist. They’d gotten more touchy with each other as the weeks had passed but nothing more than light make out sessions had happened between them. Castiel didn’t mind and he knew Dean didn’t either. Sometimes he wanted to go a bit further but he was more than content with how things were progressing in their relationship. 

“I have two Omegas who’ve called on it that I’ll be interviewing while you’re on lunch tomorrow,” he said.

“Okay, sounds good… you know what to look for I guess,” Dean shrugged. “If they need anything...if they need help the way you did, let me know. I’ll have Jody over here first thing.” 

“I know, c’mon. I made lunch earlier before you dragged me over here,” Castiel teased, yanking on Dean’s hand. They were back on their side that Dean had graciously handed over to Castiel’s decorating needs. Now it felt more like a home, especially the upstairs. He pulled out the homemade pizza from the oven and smiled at the growl Dean made.

“Mmm that smells amazing, Sweetheart.” 

Dean reached out to grab a piece of pepperoni off the top but was smacked away by Castiel’s warning hand. “It was just a bite-” 

“Go wash your hands mister,” Castiel grinned, “Besides, it’s still hot.” He brought the pizza to the island and got out their homemade ranch, some plates, and a couple of bottles of water, “How many pieces you want?” he asked.

“A couple at least,” Dean answered, though he could have probably easily eaten half the pie. 

He washed his hands as asked, and sat down. He wasn’t a patient person by any means but for Cas, waiting didn’t seem like a chore. Whether it was making sure they didn’t push their relationship boundaries too far too soon, or something as simple as waiting for lunch to be served. Cas made  _ everything  _ easier. 

Castiel quickly got the pizza sliced up and served on plates. Three for Dean and two for himself.

“Here you go,” he said as he sunk down into the chair next to Dean. The smell of melted cheese and fresh pepperoni made his stomach growl obnoxiously. 

“I hope you like this one, I put a garlic butter spread along the crust.”

Dean smiled, his ridiculous mate always thinking of new ways to impress him. It had taken longer than he’d have liked to let himself think of Cas as his mate, even in his thoughts it seemed too good to be true. But now there were small, quiet acknowledgements or the bond from both of them, usually at night before drifting off to dreamland. 

When he took a bite, everything inside him hummed in approval. It wasn’t just the flavored crust, the gooey cheese, or the heavenly flavored meats topping it, but that the food was cooked and prepared by his Omega that truly warmed him inside and out. 

“That’s fucking awesome, Cas.” 

Castiel flushed with pride at his Alpha's praise, soaking it up like a sponge. He watched Dean eat for a minute before taking a bite of his own slice. 

They didn't talk much as they ate and Castiel even got up to grab not only himself but Dean seconds as well.

“Next time I'm definitely putting sausage on the pizza as well,” Castiel groaned, rubbing his now very full stomach.

“You keep cooking like this, I’ll have to go back out in the field or you’ll be rolling me through the door pretty soon,” Dean teased, feeling his own stuffed belly. 

“Oh I can think of a few ways to keep you in shape,” he laughed. There was a choking sound from Dean and he looked over curiously, “What?”

“Cas you-fuck, you can’t just say stuff like that,” Dean said, coughing and laughing a little at how awkward he felt and how warm his face was. 

“Say what? I only meant-oh…” Castiel blushed crimson but the smile on Dean's face made him giggle and shrugged.

“Well, I have been thinking about that a lot,” he confessed.

“Uh-I, I haven’t been pushing-have I?” Dean asked, suddenly a little on edge. He always tried to let Cas be in control and for the most part he knew he was but if anything had slipped out…

Dean’s thoughts were cut off with a quick shake of Castiel’s head. 

“No, of course not Dean. You’ve been so patient and understanding and yes, I know it’s not entirely for me,” he said reaching out for Dean’s hand and smiling when their fingers curled around the other naturally.

“It’s probably the main reason why thinking about it doesn’t bother me or make me nervous. I find myself actually excited about whenever it will happen between us,” he said.

“You uh- you want that kind of stuff already?” Dean asked, he knew they’d move forward with it at some point but to say he’d been nervous about it was an understatement. He was still pretty inexperienced when Sammy had gone missing and then...well it just, it wasn’t important anymore. Nothing was. 

Castiel shrugged, “If it happens, it happens. There’s no rush Dean, I’m perfectly okay with us staying the way we are for now,” he said as he got up from the table to press a kiss first to Dean’s cheek the the corner of his lips.

“I just-” Dean swallowed. “I think…” 

How the fuck was he going to explain just how broken he was to Cas? How could he look at his gorgeous, beautiful, fucking awesome Omega and not... _ want more _ . He was ten kinds of fucked up that’s how. Dean buried his face in his hands and took a few deep breaths. He knew it wasn’t really going to make the world disappear, but in that moment he needed to not see those bright blue eyes staring down at him. 

“I- can’t...I’m sorry I just can’t.” 

“Dean?” Castiel watched as Dean crumpled into himself and scrambled to figure out what happened. He knelt down by Dean’s side and waited for his Alpha to calm down, “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“I can’t-I can’t give you what you want, Cas. I’m-I’m messed up, something-something happened a long time ago and it changed me and even though its-” Dean swallowed, “It’s not related to sex or anything I just-I don’t think I can do this.” 

Dean bit into his cheek until he could feel the sting of pain explode in his mouth, the metal taste of blood on his tongue. 

Castiel frowned, “Dean, you’re not messed up and there’s nothing wrong with you,” he said and stood back up. He pulled his own chair closer and kept a hold of Dean’s hand, “I don’t care if we ever have sex Dean. This, right here, is far more important to me,” he said squeezing Dean’s fingers.

“Oh you don’t know the half of it, Cas…” Dean said, an empty laugh escaping along side the phrase. 

Castiel sighed, letting go of Dean’s hand, “Then tell me,” he said.

“I’m a recovering alcoholic, and drug addict, and honestly, there’s probably a lot of other things I’m recovering from that I just can’t fucking remember…” Dean said, the words came out harsher, more bitter than he planned but it was his disappointment in himself that caused it, the disappointment he felt from Sam every damn day, whether the scrawny kid was there to say something about it or not.

“I’ve done things you can’t imagine and I sure as hell don’t want to talk about, I-” Dean stopped. “I can’t do this, I have to-I gotta go,” he said, standing up and heading for the door. 

“Dean!” Castiel called out for him but it was no use, the door slammed and he flinched hard. He sighed heavily and went looking for is phone.

_ Message to Benny:  _ I think Dean might need you. He just left and doesn’t want to be around me.

_ Message to Castiel:  _ Wait, what? 

_ Message to Dean:  _ Just find him please? He just stormed out of here.

Castiel turned his phone off after that and went into the bedroom to grab a few things. Dean needed space and Castiel could give him that. He’d do anything for Dean, it just hurt that Dean didn’t want to be open with him. Hugging his pillow close to his chest he went over to the side of the town house he hadn’t slept in weeks.

_ Message to Dean:  _ I’m sorry for whatever I said that caused this. Please be careful wherever you are and come home soon.

* * *

  
  


The city lights sped past as the comforting feeling of Baby’s engine purring vibrated under his seat. He turned the volume up on some AC/DC and did what he could to drown out the nastier thoughts that reached up from the back of his mind like growing weeds that threaten to wrap around his neck and squeeze until he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe anymore. 

It took a while, but eventually he calmed down and pulled off to the side of the road, just breathing in the fresh air like it might be the last breath he took. 

His phone began to vibrate in his pocket and while he wasn’t sure if it was Cas or Benny, he knew he had to let them know he was okay-well maybe not okay, but alive. It wasn’t fair of him to make them worry when just a short text would ease their minds. 

_ Message to Cas:  _ I’ll be back in a while, just needed to clear my head.

_ Message to Cas:  _ Sorry I’m such a mess. 

_ Message to Cas: _ I’ll tell you what I can, when I can...if that’s okay. 

_ Message to Benny: _ Still sober, not dead…not okay, but not any worse than yesterday or the day before. I’ll push through it. 

_ Message to Dean:  _ That’s good to hear brother. Was lookin around for ya. Take your time to breathe man and call me if you need an ear.

The comfort of knowing that he had both Cas and Benny at his back was more reassuring than he could have expected. He’d had Benny for years and even the people at the Roadhouse when he chose to leave his hideout, but somehow just Castiel being in his life, sharing parts of himself, was enough to reach down into the hollow depths of where his heart used to be and draw out small, weak tendrils of life. 

_ Message to Cas: _ I’m coming home...be back soon.

The highway passed just as quickly on his return, though he did start to worry a little when he was already almost back within the city limits and not a single vibration from his phone. He wouldn’t have checked it while on the road, would have pulled off for safety, but still...no response from Cas.

Castiel looked over both applications from the Omegas and smiled softly. The two of them were sweet and were eager to rent the space. He wanted to give it to them both. Maybe after Dean calmed down and didn’t mind Castiel being around him again, he could talk Dean into converting the office into another bedroom and the Omegas could be roommates. Hael and Anna had just recently been “excused” from their centers and only had a week to find a place to live. 

He put the papers back down on the counter and sighed. Being in this part of the town house was incredibly lonely even though it had been  _ his _ for months. It didn’t feel like that. Never had been home until he moved in with Dean next door. He wanted to go back and crawl into their bed but he refused to push Dean and hurt him worse. 

Giving himself a mental shake he walked over to the couch and turned on Hulu to find something simple to watch and hopefully fall asleep.

“Cas! I’m home,” Dean called out, as he walked through the door. There still wasn’t any response on his phone but he’d convinced himself that Cas could just be busy, or more likely, sleeping. It wasn’t  _ that _ late but his Omega was like a cat sometimes, and loved to nap when he got comfortable. 

“Cas?” Dean asked, moving through the condo.

There was no sign of his mate on the lower floor so he moved upstairs and checked the bedroom.

His pulse skyrocketed as he took in the missing splash of black and yellow that wrapped around Cas’ special pillow. It didn’t match anything but Dean had saw the look in those big blue eyes and he’d given in without thinking about it. 

_ Fuck _

Not even a whole month and he’d ran Cas off…

Castiel stretched, his conscious mind clicking back on just enough to be filled with a wave of panic. He sat up instantly and gasped. He could scent Dean and the distress seeping through the walls had him scurrying off the couch and running to the other town house, slipping up the stairs as he did so.

“Dean! It’s okay,” he called out once he’d gotten up and pushed through the door. His knee hurt like hell but the need to see Dean was greater.

“Cas-you-you were gone you left...why??”

Before his mate could even attempt to answer Dean rushed forward and wrapped around his Omega like a vice. “I’m so sorry, don’t leave me...please don’t leave me Cas. I’ll do better I-I swear I’ll do better.” 

“Sh, no Dean,” Castiel winced as the pain in his knee got twisted with Dean’s extra weight and both of them crumpled to the floor. He held onto his Alpha though, “Dean look at me, please?” 

When Dean didn’t Castiel cupped his face and made those clouded green eyes meet his, “I’m not leaving you. I’m  _ never _ going to leave you baby, I swear,” he said and kissed Dean’s lips softly, “I just wanted to give you some space from me.”

Dean shook his head, “No, never...I don’t-I don’t need space from you. I-“ he started but then he realized he sounded like he was strung out again. Only he wasn’t. 

As much as it felt like losing control, Dean let his grip ease up a bit and he pulled Cas over to the bed to sit down. He took a deep breath and tried to find a better way to say what he needed to say. “I wasn’t looking for space. I just needed to go, if I had been thinking clearly I’d have dragged you along with me. I just needed baby and some air, I wasn’t trying to get away from you.”

Castiel swallowed hard and nodded, his hand shook a little as he reached out for Dean’s, a breath of relief expelling from his lips when Dean grasped at his fingers tightly, “I’m sorry, I just assumed-” he stopped himself and shook his head. This wasn’t about him. 

“What can I do to help Dean? Even if it’s just curling up in our bed...whatever you need,” he said.

“It’s bedtime anyway, just...I’m gonna run a shower. You can lock up the house,” he said, not needing to mention how they always had their most meaningful conversations when there was only darkness and a few warm breaths between them. He’d find a way to open up, even if he couldn’t say it all, he’d do what he could. Cas deserved that much at least.

“Okay. I have to go next door and lock up there as well but I’m still here,” he said and brushed his lips against Dean’s cheek. They rose up from the bed together and Castiel left to first get the other town house cleaned up and secured before doing the same to their own. The weather was growing warmer but Castiel knew Dean loved his version of hot chocolate, even when it wasn’t freezing outside. 

He quickly got two cups made, marshmallows included and was just coming upstairs when a freshly showered Dean stepped out. They shared soft smiles and drank their treat silently, Castiel taking the empty mugs to place on the dresser for now. Since he was already in his Pjs, Castiel crawled under the blankets first and waited for Dean to scoot in next to him. 

Castiel didn’t hesitate in curling up next to Dean, his head in it’s favorite spot on Dean’s shoulder as his fingers drew slow, nonsensical designs on his chest and stomach knowing just how soothing his Alpha found it.

It took him a little longer than he’d have liked to get started; Castiel, patient as always. Dean wondered if he was nearly asleep but soon the words came spilling out without any force on his part. 

“Lost my mom when I was four….dad wasn’t really the same after that. He wasn’t abusive or anything, but he threw himself into his work and lived in the bottle whenever he couldn’t do that. Me and-,” Dean exhaled softly, “My kid brother and I were on our own a lot. He was just a baby, six months old when mom passed and just learning how to walk when Dad gave up on checking in on us every day. Practically raised the kid myself…” 

“For a while things were okay, Dad made enough so that I didn’t have to worry if we would eat from one week to the next but the older we got, the more time and money he spent keeping himself numb.” 

Thankfully, Cas was still there, still quiet. He just constantly reassured him with touches and the soft warmth of his breath, telling him over and over that he wasn’t alone. 

“Then just before I turned eighteen, Dad went and got himself killed. Jackknifed his tractor-trailer into a tree,” He said, closing his eyes and trying to force his breaths to remain calm and even. “One more month..one more month and I could have just fucking adopted him.” 

Castiel flinched, his breath getting locked in his lungs, “He...he was an Omega, wasn’t he?” he whispered.

“Pretty sure, yeah...he hadn’t fully presented but all the signs were pointing toward it,” Dean said, his voice low but grainy. His emotions were getting the better of him and it was getting harder and harder to understand what he was saying, he figured Cas had to be struggling to keep up with it, but he seemed to understand everything and more that he wasn’t saying. 

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard. It was always different between the ones who were given to the centers and the ones who were “lost”. Castiel had been one of the lost ones as well. They tried to pretend things were the same on both sides but the ones given were always treated better. 

“I’m so sorry Dean,” he said softly.

“I did everything I could to find him...I told him-” Dean’s voice broke a bit over the words but he pushed through it. He wasn’t sure if he needed to tell his mate more to explain his actions, or because the idea of Cas comforting him was too dam appealing to pass up. “I told him, just three weeks Buddy...Three weeks I’ll be eighteen and I’ll come back for you. I’ll find you, no matter what it takes and I’ll get you out of this place.” 

Dean’s breath hitched as the tears pushed over his lids and fell down the side of his face.  _ “I  _ was allowed to walk out. An Alpha three weeks shy of his eighteenth-. They wouldn’t let me around the other Omegas he was being put in with...and if I couldn’t stay with him, they wouldn’t have been able to hold me.” 

“I got two jobs, one as a mechanic, the other a bus boy. I worked every available shift for those three weeks and I saved every goddamn dime and I went back to that hell hole and-” his voice was all but a blubbering mess at that point. Cas probably didn’t understand a word. 

Castiel was frowning more and more as Dean talked. He was adding up the math, Dean’s age and his younger brother. Something familiar was nagging at him but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He sat up a little to cup Dean’s face, while his other hand gently brushed the tears away, “What happened?” he asked.

“He was gone,” Dean answered. “I broke into that center a different way every night for over a month, combing over every inch of the place for any sign, any clues, any information about what happened to my little brother.” 

“I eventually talked to an Omega that said he remembered him, said he didn’t know where he went, only that the woman in charge came for him two days after he got there, and he’d never seen him again,” Dean said, his face wet and warm with rage and pain and tears. 

“I bought that Omega his freedom the next day, it was the only thing anyone had been able to tell me and even though it wasn’t good news, I just-I couldn’t stand to leave him there and just forget what he’d done.” 

Castiel sat ramrod straight, his stomach churning so much he wanted to throw up, “Oh my Gods,” he gasped covering his mouth, “You...you were the one who ‘adopted’ Samandriel,” he said, staring off into space.

_ “Castiel! Castiel! You’re never going to believe this!”  _

_ “What is it now Samandriel?” Castiel groaned, wanting to sleep for just another five minutes but his roommate was just too over eager sometimes. _

_ “I’ve been adopted! I can leave, whenever I want!” _

_ Castiel sat up and stared at him, “What? Who?” _

_ “I don’t know his name, just that he was looking for his brother. Samuel, you remember don’t you? He was younger than us but taller, brown hair, hazel eyes. Incredibly smart-” _

_ Castiel rolled his eyes, “Yes, I remember him. He was adopted awhile ago, what about him?” _ _   
_ _   
_ __ “His older brother has been the one breaking in all this time, looking for him. I caught him and he was so nice, much nicer than all these other Alphas-”

_ “Samandriel…” _

_ “He’s the one setting me free Castiel, isn’t that wonderful?” _

“I knew Sam,” Castiel hissed.

Dean’s hand froze, his whole body froze. 

“Y-you what?” he asked, his heart rate pumping up into overtime. 

“Your brother, his name was Sam...Samuel...wasn’t it?” he asked, slowly looking at Dean with wide eyes.

“How-” Dean asked, as shock pulsed through his mind. He hadn’t mentioned Sam’s name, couldn’t bring himself to say it most of the time but Cas had just-, just said it. Said it like it was easy, like it didn’t steal away his last breath. 

“I knew him. He was in the same center as Samandriel and I,” he said and rubbed at his face, “He...for the small amount of time he was there he made things better.”

“You-I didn’t see you there-I was there  _ every night _ and I didn’t-” 

“I never left my room unless it was for lessons,” he said, moving around so he could look down at Dean’s face. His poor Alpha was staring up at him with wide, glassy eyes, the color gone from his face.

“And even if I had been walking around, you were too concerned about your brother. That’s besides the point Dean. We met when we needed to. This is about Sam,” he said softly, continuing his earlier ministrations of petting along Dean’s chest to try and keep him calm.

“I just-if you’d known anything-” Dean said, then he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, Sammy-he’s gone, I didn’t just  _ give up _ , Cas...I’d have never given up but-” he swallowed. “They wouldn’t let me see him but they told me he was dead...even had pic-pictures.” 

Castiel blanched, “No, he’s not  _ dead _ . He was adopted,” he said. Naomi wouldn’t have gone to those lengths, it must have been someone else, someone higher that said those lies.

“Cas- I, it was months after he left the center,” Dean tried to reason. “You think I would have stopped looking if-“ he cut himself off and started again, “I’d have  _ never  _ given up on him without proof.”

“I don't know why they told you he was dead,” he sighed and rubbed at his face, “He was adopted by a man named Crowley. There's….a lot of rumors about him. I don't honestly know what is truth and what is a lie but Crowley would come and adopt several Omegas at a time.”

Dean remembered Crowley, the man definitely rubbed him the wrong way but overall, he seemed pretty harmless. “What were the rumors Cas?? Tell me-please.”

Castiel fidgeted uncomfortably, “That he's some kind of boogeyman. According to some of the Alphas I overheard, he has some kind of compound where the Omegas are his slaves. The others are terrified of him, the Alphas who would tour the center,” he explained. Castiel had only seen Crowley in passing, never got to speak to him. 

The urge to rush out of bed and find that son of a bitch was strong but instead, Dean just pushed out a shaky breath and pulled Cas back in against him. 

“I don’t know what this means...whether Sam is alive or dead, whether I’ve been-I’ve been wasting all this time but we’re going to find out,” he answered, wiping at the sides of his eyes and his cheeks to do what he could to dry them. “Tomorrow we start again.” 

Castiel nodded, “Now that I have free and easy access to the internet, I can help you find your brother,” he said softly, turning his head a bit to kiss Dean's shoulder.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean was on his third cup of coffee when Jody showed up. He switched out the filter and brewed another pot so he could offer a cup to his friend. He hadn’t really told her much about his past, hadn’t told anyone besides Benny, and most of that had been done while he was stumbling drunk or some other version of partially numb. 

“Hey, Dean...how you holding up? Everything okay here?” she asked, glancing around the condo with her eyes hoping to catch sight of the Omega. Jody always like checking in on people who’d had it rough, though she’d have definitely done the same for Dean, the poor boy hadn’t given her much, except what she’d pulled from his records which were surprisingly clean. Still, there was something in his eyes that gave it away and she knew that he too, had been dealt a shitty hand. 

“Well I guess that depends on how you look at it...I got a favor to ask,” he said, gently pushing a tray of lukewarm muffins across the table toward her. 

“I don’t take bribes,” she grinned, before plucking one from the basket and pushing it into her mouth with a groan. “Damn...though I could be convinced.” 

“Good right? Cas made them...he’s- well he’s really good at baking.” 

Jody couldn’t help but smile, seeing Dean even awkwardly praising his mate was about the most adorable thing she’d ever seen. 

Then his face went serious, darker. 

“I-I’ve got something to tell you and it’s going to be  _ a lot _ , so have a seat, I’ll get you some coffee and then we can get you caught up,’ he offered, pointing toward the seat across from him. 

Dean did just as he’d promised, poured her a fresh, hot cup of coffee as soon as it was ready and then used every ounce of control he could find to stay calm as he explained what had happened all those years ago and how Castiel has made him question whether or not his little brother was really gone. 

“I know just how dangerous it is, hope...so I’m trying to stay realistic about this but if my brother is alive there’s nothing I won’t do to get him back.” 

“I understand, Dean...I’ll do everything I can to help, what did you have in mind?” 

“Well, for starters, there was someone at my Center I think you should question,” Castiel said stepping into the room. He gave Dean a warm smile before extending his hand out, “I’m Castiel by the way, nice to meet you under much better circumstances,” he said laughing softly.

“Castiel, straight to the point huh? I like that. I’m Jody and well, you too.”

“I’m going to need some sort of reason as to why I’m asking questions though…” Jody said, chewing at her jaw for a second before softly smiling at Dean. “Though I suppose if I got an  _ anonymous _ tip that there was abuse or mistreatment happening there, well I’d have to investigate that.” 

“That can be arranged, hell...probably isn’t even that much of a stretch,” Dean answered, frowning down at his own notepad of information. What little they had.

Castiel shifted a little, “I can give you actual stories of what I’ve witnessed and has been done to me,” he said and then cleared his throat, “O-Our caretaker or rather  _ mother _ as we were told to call her, is Naomi. She was in charge of our floor where Sam was as well, though now I’m convinced that there is someone above her that she must answer to,” he said.

“Wait are you telling me there’s actual abuse happening in the center? Because I will shut the whole place down so fast it would make your head spin,” Jody answered, her mothering instincts went into overdrive at the thought of someone hurting those kids. Omegas or not.

Castiel looked nervously between Jody and Dean, “We were punished if we didn’t do what we were told. I-I’m not sure that equates to abuse but some of the things I saw...I don’t know,” he said

“Punished how? What were they asking of you and what was the punishment?” Jody asked, her stomach coiling tightly as she feared but needed the response.

“I need to sit down for this,” Castiel sighed, going into the fridge first to grab a juice. He moved to sit down at the table, his hand instantly reaching for Dean’s.

“I don’t know if either of you really know what the Center looks like or how it functions but basically, we’re separated by age groups. That’s how Sam was on my floor even though he was younger. Most of us have to room with others, even up to four or five at a time. We’re given chores to do each day and go in for training sessions all day long. We’re taught to behave, to listen, to obey...if we speak up or question we’re punished. First offense is usually a smack on the hand by a switch. It gets worse after that,” he said swallowing hard.

“Though we’re grouped together, there is a clear line between those of us who were abandoned and the ones given to the center. The ones given were always treated well, better food, better clothing. They were more or less trained to be respectable mates some day, while the rest of us...well, we were trained to be whores, or slaves, whichever our future Alpha preferred.”

Dean’s jaw was clamped tight but somehow he spat the words through gritted teeth. “And just how many times did you  _ disobey _ , how many times did they hurt you?” 

“I understand why you’re angry, Dean but anger isn’t going to help us right now. What we need--what we need to do is shut the place down. Shut  _ all  _ of them down if that’s what it’s like everywhere,” Jody said, sipping at her coffee for something to do while her brain worked a mile a minute. 

“What we need….is for people to know. For people to associate real human beings with this  _ archaic _ system.” 

“We have to get information on Sam first. If we start, leaking information about this Center to the news or whatever, they’ll close and run. Then Dean will never get to see his brother again. But we can use m-my experiences as a way in, for you Jody. Once we get what we need, then we can talk about tearing them down,” he said.

“Castiel...I’m sorry but-” 

“Dean, you know I’d do anything to help you find your brother, I know you have to know that but...you can’t expect me to just stand by while knowing those children are being brainwashed and hurt,” she said, shaking her head. 

“No, I don’t. I don’t expect you to wait, Jody. I just-” Dean swallowed, “I just need today.. One day, just let me-just today and tonight and you can take every single person into custody tomorrow if you want. Hell, I’ll help you.” 

She looked him over, half nervous about just what he had planned, but she trusted that Dean was a good man and he wouldn’t hurt anyone. “Alright, alright...but I’m busting in first thing in the morning so whatever you’re gonna do, you better be quick about it.” 

“Don’t worry, I will…” 

Jody emptied her cup and stood to leave, but just before she walked out she put a reassuring hand on Dean’s shoulder and smiled softly at him. “Don’t do anything stupid, don’t make me take you in cuffs too.”

Dean nodded in agreement. 

Castiel gave Jody a small wave as she left and swallowed hard, “Did I mess up?” he asked softly once she was gone and it was the two of them again.

“No, look...I know you wanted to buy us more time and I get it, Cas...but Sam-” Dean swallowed, his throat nearly closing up at the mention of his brother’s name. “Sam might be gone, he might not be. But I know that he wouldn’t want us to wait. Those Omegas, those kids...deserve not to be abused. They deserve beds and warm meals and kindness. Just like you deserved, just like Sammy did.” 

“The thing you and Jody don’t understand though Dean...is once that place goes down, where are they going to go? There’s no housing for them, there’s no jobs,” Castiel sighed heavily and got up, pacing the kitchen, “I know what goes on in that center is bad but at least we were fed and had a warm place to sleep if we weren’t being punished,” he said.

“Well...that’s the thing, I uh, I had an idea,” Dean answered, chewing at his lip. He reached a hand out until Castiel stopped pacing and moved forward. “I know we don’t have a lot of time but I was thinking that we can start making arrangements, even if it means building an apartment complex from the ground up. I’m hoping there’s enough empty housing in the city to just grab and fix up, but at this point, I’ll take what I can get… in the meantime. We can let Jody take in all the center staff, you and the other Omegas that like to speak their mind, you can pick out the good from the bad and if there’s anyone worth saving, we’ll keep them on. Otherwise, we’ll completely revamp and restaff the place, I’ll buy it out from under the city if I have to…” he said, after having barely taken a breath. 

Castiel wasn’t aware of the tears flowing down his cheeks until he was surging forward to kiss his mate, ‘You...you are amazing Dean Winchester,” he said against the Alpha’s lips.

Dean felt himself smiling wider, “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he said, pulling Cas down into his lap so that he could truly wrap his arms around his mate. 

“I was thinking, if we keep this quiet, as quiet as we can at least...especially if we can keep up the pretense of the  _ center _ , I’d take in some volunteers, if they’re willing. We could train them in self defense. Then, if they were still okay with it, we’d put them in centers all over the state, all over the country, whatever it took. We’d send them in with cameras and microphones and anything else we can get to record, and they could give us a good picture of what these places are really like.” 

“That’s it, I knew it, you’re a dream,” Castiel teased, nuzzling into Dean’s neck, arms squeezing around Dean tightly, “First, we need to focus on Sam. Let’s find him and then we’ll go along with your crazy plan,” he said, leaning back enough to gaze into Dean’s eyes.

“Well  _ that,  _ starts tonight. I figure it’s about time I broke in again. Had a chat with this Naomi.” 

Castiel flinched, “Just...please be careful. Naomi isn’t...she may seem demure and kind but she’s anything but. Take Benny with you,” he said, fingers gripping onto the front of Dean’s shirt.

“Oh don’t worry, Sweetheart. I’m not going alone,” Dean promised, kissing gently at Cas’ face.

* * *

“Ya know Dean, if you wanted to break into an Omega Center, I could have just taken you to that strip join down the way,” MacCready smirked, knowing full well just how much his boss detested them.

“Funny, funny…” Dean said, double checking his pack one last time before tossing it over his shoulder. “We’ll see how hard you’re laughing when you’re standing in the unemployment line.” 

“Oh c’mon boss, you’d never fire me,” MacCready laughed, his eyes scanning the area to make sure no one was watching them.

“No you’re right, you know too much…” Dean answered, smiling a wicked grin at his friend. “Guess I’ll just have to put you down myself.” 

“Couldn’t think of a better way to go,” MacCready said dreamily, batting his eyelashes for good measure. Both of them chuckled and MacCready got out of the car with Dean, “So, I know you don’t wanna tell me details but what’s the game plan here bossman?’

“Target’s name, Naomi Arithist,” Dean said, flopping open a small folder where a photo of Naomi was pinned to the top. “I want to talk to her, we might have to take her with us but I’m hoping that we can persuade her to give us the information we need without it.” 

“Sounds good,” he said and checked his hand gun that was strapped to his waist under his long coat. He waited for Dean and soon they were sneaking around the compound. It was a huge, twenty story tall, cement brick stronghold. There were a few small tables outside but other than that, there was nothing around the place.

Dean motioned for Mac to follow behind him. He hadn’t had the time to do all of the research he’d have liked, but he knew about most of the new security features thanks to Cas. Both his experience in living there and his ability to track the finances of the center made it easier for them to figure out what he should expect going in. Hell most of the shit they had in place now was specifically because of Dean himself and all the sneaking in he’d done before. 

They got to the back entrance without setting off any of the spotlight sensors. Honestly, he was pretty proud of himself and more so of Mac.  _ Dean  _ had done the best he could to memorize the map and layout before going in, Mac was flying blind, only following Dean’s lead to guide him. He was gruff and a rough and tumble kind of guy but say what you want, the man had lighter steps and was more graceful than a goddamn ballet dancer when it came to their missions. 

He didn’t usually enjoy being so destructive, but they didn’t have the time or energy to put into hacking the passcode locks that were installed on the doors so Dean attached a small explosive putty to the locking mechanism and waited for it to melt through. 

“Alright, sweetheart. We’re in. Quickest way to Naomi?” Dean whispered the small microphone on his jacket collar.” 

Castiel sighed softly, Dean’s voice in his ear relieving his rabbiting heart to no end, “Once in the hallway, there should be two staircases. Take the one on the left. It’ll lead you straight up to where the caretakers are. Mother...Naomi’s office is the one at the end on the left. Even though it’s late, she should still be there. She practically lives at the center,” Castiel explained with his eyes closed. The map in his head becoming a 3-D model that he was walking through.

Dean nodded silently toward Mac and they proceeded up the stairs. His boots were fitted with soft bottoms to keep his own footsteps silent as the never ending hall grew longer in front of him. Whether it was anticipation and nerves or something else altogether, Dean was eager to unclench his stomach from the knots that grew in his belly.

He nodded toward the door at the end and Macready stepped forward.

MacCready pulled out the tin from his pocket and lit it with a match before sliding it under the door, the smoke already rising up. It didn’t take long for the tell tale sound of someone falling over in a heap. He gave Dean a nod and soon the door to their mark’s office was picked and they were slipping inside. 

The woman on the floor was still conscious, her eyes growing wide at the sight of them, “Hello there sugar,” he grinned, getting the door closed and locked up behind them.

“Hey Naomi, long time no see…” Dean said, pulling her up from the floor and positioning her in the chair. He didn’t have as much time or seclusion as he wanted, really the whole operation wasn’t as he’d have liked, but it would have to do. It’s the best they could pull up in the time allowed. 

Naomi’s eyes fluttered open and staring back at her was that blasted Dean Winchester once again. She thought he’d given up the dramatics but apparently that wasn’t the case. She started to say something snarky, but she realized she couldn’t speak...the horrid gas she’d smelled had made it into her lungs and made her throat raw and she was unable to say anything. 

Hopefully it would wear off soon. 

“Mac, the muzzle,” Dean called over his shoulder. 

MacCready nodded and reached into the bag for some duct tape, “Here you go boss,” he said giving Naomi a smirk. He had nothing personal against the woman but just the mere fact that she worked in an Omega Center immediately made her trash. Especially to do that to your own kind. 

Dean ripped off a slab big enough and held it up to where Naomi’s bobbing head could see it. 

“You see this, I’m going to keep it right here...for now. You so much as think about screaming and it will be over those lips faster than you can say ‘Ha-” and I’ll drag your ass outside, throw you in the trunk, and  _ maybe _ at some point, I’ll let you go again.” 

Naomi didn’t respond because she couldn’t yet, but she was able to make smaller noises in her throat, so she knew she was getting it back. 

“But if you stay nice and quiet, and you cooperate with me, you don’t lie to me, well...maybe I could be convinced to let you stick around here, where you at least have the illusion of safety and protection,” he said, smiling a wicked grin toward her. “Nod if you understand and agree.” 

Naomi’s motor functions weren’t up to par, but she was able to nod. Of course Winchester didn’t know the truth, or he wouldn’t have worried about her screaming. She didn’t want anyone to come barging in any more than he did. 

Castiel sighed softly at the pleased noise Dean made. He had to assume Naomi agreed. Grabbing up the file next to him, he scanned over the list of names that handled each of their floors. Only one name kept popping up over and over again other than Naomi’s.

“You can either ask her directly about Crowley or a woman named Rowena,” Castiel said softly into the mic.

Hearing Cas’ voice softened his smile but he was still able to focus on the task at hand. Dean didn’t want to give over any information that he didn’t have to, but Cas didn't have his background in security or light espionage so he couldn’t blame his adorable mate for making suggestions. It wasn’t a bad plan exactly, but they needed to hold their cards as close to the vest as possible. 

Dean leaned himself back against Naomi’s desk, holding her chin up so that she could see his face as the toxins in the gas began to wear off. 

“Where is my brother?”

Naomi stubbornly shook her head and growled out the one word she was able to, “Dead.” 

Dean made a tutting noise, “Now now, Naomi….I said you needed to be honest with me, and you’re not being honest.” 

Her frustration with this hot headed Alpha was growing by the minute. 

“Let’s try this again, When was the last time you saw my brother.” 

“Ten-years,” she answered, though it felt like lava was pouring from her mouth. 

MacCready’s eyes widened. He’d been under the impression that this was some hero complex type mission to free the Omegas from this horrid center. Now that it was a personal mission, well, that changed things. He slowly cracked his knuckles and smirked when the caretaker blinked slowly at him.

“On this I believe she’s telling the truth. Sam was adopted ten years ago,” Castiel sighed.

“Who did he leave with?” Dean asked next, knowing it was Crowley. Cas had given him that much but until it helped them, he didn’t want Naomi to know exactly how much information he had. 

“I-I’m not sure,” she said, her voice finally coming back to her. “Samuel was...forgettable.” 

Dean had never in his life wanted to hit a woman more than he did in that moment. Instead he took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. 

Dean smirked, “That’s a lie...and I’m guessing you’ve got quite a few more ready to slip out so we’re going to play a game. For every time you lie to me, I’m going to have my friend over there, open one of these drawers,” 

There was a flicker of fear, horror honestly that pooled in her eyes, and Dean knew he was on the right track. 

“He’s going to take pictures and document  _ everything _ . I know he doesn’t really look like the nerdy type, but you’d be surprised how good his organizational skills are,” he added with a smirk. 

“I don’t know his name but,” she answered, pausing to swallow and make the path easier on her words. “he goes by Crowley.” 

“Alright, and I’m guessing this  _ Crowley _ pays in cash, am I right?” 

She nodded, wanting to save what little strength she could summon for things that couldn’t be settled with a gesture. 

“Who allows this, I know you’re not top tier material….so who allows some sadistic asshole to waltz in her put down a stack of cash, and walk out with dozens of Omegas?” 

Naomi hesitated, if she named Rowena the woman might just kill her. Dean Winchester would probably let her live, he wasn’t the killing type unless maybe  _ she _ had been Crowley. The man was an evil sort, and she barely claimed any of the money he gave to the center, Rowena snapped it all up like a vulture. She did not envy that man when the Winchester Alpha got a hold of him. 

Still...Rowena could be a problem. 

“I can’t, she’ll kill me….” 

“What makes you think I won’t?” 

Naomi just rolled her eyes, “I don't-I don’t care for her  _ methods _ , but I’d be stupid to betray her trust.”

Castiel was looking over a report and frowned, “That’s a lie. Whoever this Rowena is, doesn’t trust anyone, let alone someone like Naomi,” he said shaking his head. There was a huge amount of money being funded into Rowena’s account though, “I don’t even think Naomi sees the money Crowley sends in, it’s like he’s paying Rowena directly.”

Dean can work with that.

“Trust you? What...you telling me you took a kickback to give my little brother over to some sadistic Alpha asshole, is that what you’re telling me Naomi?” 

Naomi tried to hold her head up, but Dean let go surprising her and it swooped down automatically as the bitterness in her stomach traveled like burning bile into her throat. 

“Aww poor little  _ mother _ left out of the money loop huh? Looks like someone already knows you’re worthless,” Dean grinned. 

Anger rose in her but she kept her cool, the last thing she was about to do was to let the likes of Dean Winchester ruffle her feathers. 

“Would you mind getting to the point? I don’t know anything about where your brother is, where Crowley is, where  _ anyone _ is…” 

“Now that, I believe...because they don’t trust you enough to tell you. The Omegas on the other hand, that’s your area of expertise, right? Tell me about the Omega’s he’s taken. What were they like, were they the same, different, left or given, broken or defiant. I want every last scrap of information you can conjure up and I want it now.” 

MacCready watched Naomi try to close up. Her lips pressing into a thin line. He chuckled softly and pulled out one of his favorite knives, flipping it between his fingers.

Naomi flinched and shook her head, “I-I have no idea, honestly!”

“She’s lying Dean, she knows exactly which ones he takes and why,” Castiel said through gritted teeth.

MacCready didn’t wait for Dean, he threw the knife so it whizzed by her head and grinned, “Wanna try that again sugar?”

“Jesus!” Naomi gasped, her breathing becoming harsher, “Look, Crowley would come in with an already set list of Omegas. He never comes in to look around at them. He hands the list to me and I round them up for him and then he leaves. I don’t handle the payments or anything else!”

“I don’t care about the money, I want to know about the Omegas. Who he takes,  _ why  _ he takes them, what do they have in common? There has to be something and you’re the head bitch, you telling me you don’t know? Come on now, I told you not to lie to me,” Dean said, leaning in against Naomi’s ear. “He’s got more knives, just in case you were curious…” 

Naomi swallowed hard, she couldn’t tell Dean Winchester the real reason. It would implicate her far more than she already was. She shifted in her seat and the next thing she knew her vision was swirling and she was looking up at the ceiling, something sharp pressed at her chin.

“You best start talkin honey,” MacCready growled.

“Dean...what’s going on?” Castiel hissed. The noise coming over the speaker was strange, almost like someone was struggling.

“Do as I said, Naomi and nobody needs to get hurt here tonight,” he answered, giving Mac a look that told him to tone it down a bit. Sure, he wanted to scare her but Cas being scared wasn’t in the plan. 

“Alright!” Naomi squeezed her eye shut and gripped at the armrests they had her wrists bound to, “They...they were all being sold-”

“Sold?” MacCready hissed.

“Oh my Gods,” Castiel gasped.

“Yes. I-I would find willing buyers for the more troubled ones. The ones who were abandoned especially. I didn’t care who they were, just that they would leave this place, there was no room for them. We had to focus on the ones who were given, they provided the most money for the center,” Naomi confessed.

If it weren’t for the knowledge that Jody would show up in just a few short hours, Dean wasn’t sure he’d have been able to leave the woman alive. 

“You were going to sell my kid brother over to the highest bidder, even if it was for pennies just so you could concentrate on your precious  _ given _ ones,” Dean’s teeth clenched. “But then this Crowley swooped in and bought him and a handful of others...what lucky Omegas…” 

“Do you have any idea what he does to them? With them? What kind of Alpha  _ needs _ that many Omegas?” 

“I honestly don’t know. I rarely ever spoke to him. He dealt with my superior directly. All we know about him are the rumors. That he goes to centers all over and adopts as many Omegas as possible,” Naomi said and let her head fall back, “I don’t know about the other centers. Here, he takes the ones that are destined to be sold or…” 

“Or what?” MacCready demanded.

Naomi looked Dean in the eye and sucked in a sharp breath, “Being sent to the top floor.”

Castiel nearly flung himself out of his seat, his head spinning dangerously, “No, No, No.” 

“What the fuck is the top floor?” Dean asked, a lick of fear going up his spine at Castiel’s reaction. What the hell are they doing to these Omegas? They’re fucking human beings and whatever it is, it made Dean’s stomach twist to an almost painful level just from the emotional bond he shared with Cas. 

Naomi kept her mouth shut, her head shaking violently.

“The...the top floor is...Gods I can’t even say it,” Castiel groaned, moving to sit on the floor so he could hug his knees close, “It’s for the extreme cases that can’t be trained or for the older Omegas, like me,” he said thickly.

“It’s a despicable place,” Naomi spat out and then shut up again.

“Omegas are forced into heat by anti suppression drugs and bolted down. The highest bidder gets to have their fun,” Castiel spat out.

“What the everlovin’ fuck are you people doing in this place? Jesus!” Dean answered, nearly sick with the urge to just gather every fucking Omega in the place and take them home with him. 

“This is over, this-this won’t won’t happen to anyone else,” Dean said, mostly for Cas but Naomi seemed to give him an odd, but somehow grateful look. “I don’t care what happens to you and the rest of your lot, I will pull every Omega from their bed and burn this place to the fucking ground to see that it never happens  _ here _ again.” 

“You listen good, Naomi I’m going to let you go. I’m going to let you live tonight. But I don’t want you to forget this. I want you to remember no matter how much security you buy, no matter how many guards you have, you will never be safe  _ from me _ , Do you believe that I’m telling you the truth?” 

“Yes...thank you,” Naomi whispered.

“Oh I haven’t gotten to the fun part,” Dean smiled a devious grin. “I’m going to leave behind a few toys. If you so much as think about looking for them or destroying them or anything else, I will come for you and I won’t be so nice next time, understood?” 

Naomi nodded her head vigorously.

Dean inched closer, making sure his serious tone was fully taken in. “One more thing...if  _ anyone _ so much as ‘thinks’ the word top floor again, I will rain hell down on you and yours until long after you’ve stopped screaming and begging for mercy.” 

Naomi whimpered and then nodded again. The two Alphas stepped back and her vision swam once more as her chair was pulled up.

Castiel let out a slow breath and waited for the background noises to quiet before whispering, “I love you Dean.”

“You too, sweetheart.” 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so while there isn't any actual torture in this chapter, there's heavily discussed torture/rape/non-con/ just a whole mess of awful really, so if you need to bow out, we'll understand. Take care of yourselves first.

Samandriel watched as they carried the iron frames out of the building, flinching a bit when he saw Benny jump in to help. He hadn’t exactly been a hundred percent honest about his time at the center, though he knew he should have. It wasn’t easy to talk about, not easy to-to think about. He’d told the man a million times that he was broken, that there were things in his past that he might never get over, never share, never work through. Somehow, despite his best efforts, Benny loved him through it all. 

Though he supposed it wasn’t as if Benny had led a life of leisure and luxury either. 

It made sense, when he allowed himself to think about it, which wasn’t often. Benny was a mechanic at heart and Samandriel was a broken thing. The Alpha would forever be doing what he could to fix him, and he...he was forever hoping there was something inside him capable of being repaired. 

“They’re disassembling the top floor,” Samandriel whispered, unsure if Castiel had seen the place before. His friend swallowed hard and looked at him with a questioning glance. 

He shrugged, “I was never quite as lucky as you, Castiel. I wasn’t as disruptive or disobedient, or as old, and yet…’ His breath stuttered between his teeth as a phantom wave of spine shattering panic slid through him. “They needed bodies to fill the beds.” 

Castiel sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and pulled Samandriel close. Samandriel had been the quietest of them all, except on those rare occasions that they were alone and the younger Omega got excited.

“It's over now. For all of us. The types of horrors you had to endure that place will never happen to another Omega,” he whispered. There was a shout and Castiel's head jerked up. Both Benny and Dean looked absolutely horrified at the things they were bringing out. Surprisingly, but not so much now that he knew the man a bit more, MacCready was trying to get his hands on one of their staff Alphas. It warmed him up a little on the inside to know and witness actual kind hearted Alphas, that it wasn't just Dean and Benny.

“Not here but...but there are other centers Castiel,” Samandriel answered. He was more than relieved that the center had ben dismantled of its staff and most of its contents. It was an odd feeling, seeing the building from the outside, in broad daylight. They didn’t get much time outside, their “mother” too afraid they’d escape he imagined. Even when they did, it was only in a small area that always seemed to be muddy in the back and mostly after the sun was gone. 

It looked so... _ normal _ now. As if it were just any other building. 

He frowned up at it, “I know, I know you want to stay back. I know Dean also...I know neither of our Alphas want us in there but I have to-I  _ need _ to see it one more time.” 

Castiel nodded. It was true, he did not want to step one foot inside the building but Samandriel was his friend. Even after his adoption, Samandriel had written him nearly twice a week to keep Castiel from going insane. He took up Samandriel’s hand and squeezed at his fingers, “If you need me to come inside with you, I will. You don’t have to be alone in this,” he said softly.

“It’s okay, I just need a few minutes. I need to see it after it’s been dismantled,” he answered softly. The place had been giving him night terrors for years, he needed to see it with his own eyes that it wasn’t there hanging over his head, relentlessly haunting him anymore.

Castiel nodded and stayed close to Samandriel while the Alphas around them continued to tear apart the place that had been “home” for far too long. 

Once the all clear was called, Castiel walked with Samandriel to get closer. He held up his hand to Dean to stop him from getting in their way, “It’s something we need to do,” he said softly and kissed Dean’s cheek.

“Do you want me to come with you cher?” Benny whispered, moving up to Samandriel’s side slowly.

“No, I’m okay,” he answered trying to reassure Benny, but managing to embolden himself in the process, of course Castiel’s arm in his own strengthened him quite a bit already. “I’ll be back soon.”

Benny nodded and squeezed Samandriel’s shoulder before stepping out of the way to join Dean, “C’mon brother, lets go check on the Omegas and make sure they’re getting the food that our mates made for them,” he said, gently prodding Dean to step away with him.

Castiel watched the two of them step away and sighed softly. They walked into the dark building together, their eyes taking a moment to adjust. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but over all, he was numb. The place certainly looked completely different than it had since he last lived there. It was dark and eerie, especially without the usual bustle of the caretakers and Alphas roaming around.

“It looks so... _ ordinary _ ,” Samandriel said, his voice barely above a whisper. He expected it would be different but the once larger than life building was...nothing. 

He glanced around the room, half emptied out as more people busied themselves removing anything and everything that wasn’t bolted down. He flinched from his own thought but steadied his resolve. 

“I want to go up, you don’t have to come.”

“I’m not letting you go up there by yourself,” Castiel said and shook his head, keeping their hands firmly locked together.

Samandriel nodded, before moving forward toward the stairs as Castiel went toward the elevator. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how different their experiences had been.

_ A natural omega makes allowances for their betters.  _

Phantom pains licked up the back of his legs and Samandriel fell to his knees from the memory. 

_ Who gave you the right to ride in luxury. _

_ Your body is meant for two things and two things only.  _

_ Working and fucking. _

A sob broke from his throat and he shook under the fear and panic that climbed inside him. 

Castiel fell with Samandriel, his arms wrapping around him tightly, cooing softly in his ear. It would be pointless to utter reassurances and to try and convince Samandriel that things would be better. If the roles were reversed, he’d start screaming for them to stop.

_ Get up, move move. _

_ Unless you can’t… _

_ if that’s the case, I’ll just drag you. _

Samandriel stood up on shaky legs and pushed his way into the stairwell, Castiel’s arm pulling him back. “I have to-I have to do this,” he said, squeezing tighter at the hand in his in some meager attempt to anchor himself to the moment, to the truth, away from the past. 

Castiel nodded but remained quiet. He helped his friend make the rest of the way to the top floor, his heart plummeting into his stomach. He’d been one of the few fortunate ones to never have experienced the torments of this place. Though he was threatened many, many times. Even forced to listen in the lobby to the sounds emanating from the rooms. His mind almost jumped to a dark place when he realized he could have very easily been listening to Samandriel during one of those times…

He shoved it back as quickly and as deep as he could. There was no point to dwell on it, this was about Samandriel, not himself.

“I’m here Samandriel, you’re not alone,” he whispered once they entered the lobby.

He looked around the room and nearly retched from the stench that seemed to burrow into the walls; the fear, the panic, the sex, it seemed to penetrate even concrete that held no scent. 

The center of the room was cold, it was always so cold. No matter what his heat was saying Samandriel always felt a chill there, always felt like his skin turned to ice. He let out a shaky breath. “They thought...they always told me that I liked it...because I didn’t scream. The alpha’s, they told me it was why they kept bringing me back…” 

“I didn’t like it, I just-I couldn’t-” he said, tears breaking onto his cheeks. “I couldn’t scream. My voice was air that just wouldn’t come out. I don't- I don’t even remember breathing.” 

Castiel held Samandriel closer, his own body starting to tremble from the rage beginning to build from his gut, “Do you remember their names?” he said through clenched teeth.

Samandriel couldn’t help himself, he laughed. He laughed much harder than he should have but the mere idea just seemed so damn comical. “Castiel, they don’t  _ give  _ their names. They also never took me on dates or brought me flowers. They were Alpha, I was Omega, I was nothing to them. I was barely a wet hole, they certainly didn’t show any kindness.” 

“I’m sorry, that was idiotic of me,” Castiel said, shaking his head. He would still try though. There had to be records somewhere and just witnessing just how scary Dean and MacCready worked first hand, he knew without a doubt, the two of them could easily find their names.

“You are so much more than that Samandriel. We all are,” he said softly.

“I know, I do...Benny has been...he’s been amazing for my self esteem. Dean too, in the beginning, though I think it was harder for him,” Samandriel said, holding Castiel in tightly against his side so that he could feel less alone. “He looked at me and saw the brother he couldn’t save, it made things awkward for quite some time but he tried and I’ll never forget everything he’s done for me.” 

Castiel nodded, kissing at Samandriel’s temple, “We’re safe now. Most of all, you’re safe now. No one will ever lay a wrong hand on you ever again,” he said. He looked around the room again and bit down on his lip so hard he could taste blood. Dean had mentioned turning the place into something good but all Castiel wanted to do was see it burn. 

“Shhh, I’m not leaving you alone, just need to step over here,” he said, shushing Samandriel’s whine after he stood up. Now that he had the idea in his head, he became obsessed with it, overwhelmed with the thought of never having to see this place ever again. The memories were stained in the walls along with the horrid smells. If he ended up in jail, at this point he didn’t care. 

There was a desk in the middle of the room that he went to and rummaged through it. Inside one of the drawers was a file with a list of names that he took out but the rest of the paper he scattered around the room. Knowing what type of hell went on here, he searched the cabinets until he found oil and some matches. His mind trying hard to slither down that dark path again.

“Focus Castiel,” he seethed and began pouring the oil all over the room. Over the doors, the walls and the desk. After he was satisfied he walked back over to Samandriel and helped his friend up, their hands closing over the box of matches together, “You should be the one to do it,” he said softly.

Samandriel nodded and then struck a match. 

He wanted it all to burn. 

* * *

  
  


Benny had just finished wrapped a warm blanket around one of the younger Omegas, his stomach churning in knots when he smelled it. He stepped out of the tent and froze. The entire top floor of the center was on fire, bright flames were flicking out of the windows.

“Oh, shit. Dean!” he called out before running towards the center.

Dean looked up and before he could even blink he was moving toward the building, Panic curling in his stomach as he remembered the sight of Castiel and Samandriel going back inside. 

“Samandriel!” Benny shouted as he ran next to Dean to get inside. They were barely inside the center when they caught sight of the two Omegas making their way down the stairs. 

“Shit...are...are you two okay?” Benny asked swallowing hard. There was a new look on Samandriel’s face, one he hadn’t seen before and didn’t quite recognize.

“Better now,’ he answered as calmly as possible. Something about watching the flames grow in the room of his destruction made him feel like a new person. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of his past. It was all well and truly over, just as Castiel had said. “Much better now.” 

“Cas? What the hell-” Dean stopped himself, looking at the two people in front of him. He took in his mate but then his eyes flitted over to Samandriel and...and he knew. The fire was no accident, though he guessed he couldn’t really blame them. 

He held his arms open and waited for Cas to move closer, of course his tender hearted mate made sure his friend was taken care of first, but then the scent of something awful hit his nose. “What is-” 

Castiel shook his head, mouthing the word  _ later _ before moving into Dean’s arms. He relished in the sensation of warmth and safety for only a moment before the firefighters started screaming at them to get out. They hurried out of the building to what was deemed safe and Castiel looked up. Seeing the center slowly crumbling and engulfed in flames settled something in his heart and he couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted out of him.

He buried his face against Dean’s chest where the laughter turned into soft crying, the relief that it was over overwhelming.

“Shh, it’s over now sweetheart. It’s all over...and we uh, we have some good news actually…” 

Castiel wiped at his face and looked up, “Oh?” 

“Mac has some contacts...there’s an old apartment complex in the warehouse district. It’s going to need some cleaning up but it should be livable by the end of the week and better than livable by the end of the month...Until then, We’ve rented out the Carlisle,” he grinned. “Too many people for them each to have their own rooms still, but it should even out to be around three people sharing instead of six, and  _ much _ bigger rooms.”

Castiel’s mouth dropped open, “Dean..you…” his vision swam with tears as he attacked his mate, wrapping around him like a koala bear. The Carlisle was not cheap, not even the most basic room wasn’t affordable by most. And here his mate was, offering his own money to help the Omegas find some peace. 

He pushed his face against Dean’s neck and took in a deep breath of his scent, “You are amazing Dean Winchester,” he whispered.

“Yeah, well...I don’t know if you noticed but I was kind of a pain in the ass before you, so maybe this is just the  _ new me _ the  _ post-Cas  _ me,” he grinned. Though he was genuinely just joking around, Dean did feel like a new man from the moment that stubborn, idiotic Omega who couldn’t even wear a damn jacket, stepped into his life. 

Castiel giggled softly, his lips brushing along the skin of Dean’s neck. There was a loud rumbling noise that nearly drowned out the loud shouts from the firefighters to get back. Castiel merely turned his head and found himself smiling as the entire center crumpled into itself.

Benny gasped, his arm instinctively going around Samandriel. He started to pull it away when the Omega pulled him in closer instead.   
  


“It’s better this way,” Samandriel offered. “It would only haunt us all.” 

Benny nodded as they all turned to watch the smoke rise. Behind him he could sense the other Omegas coming out to watch as well, the overwhelming scent of relief nearly brought him to his knees but he stayed standing, his arm firmly around Samandriel’s waist.

“We should get you guys out of here...there’s some celebrating that needs done,” Dean grinned. They’d had food and drinks and things waiting for the Omegas when they ushered everyone out, but it was mostly just snacks or soups and water, a few pitchers of tea or lemonade. It was enough to warm their bellies, but nothing to stick on them, and lord knows...a lot of them needed it. 

“Come with me? I have an announcement to make,” Dean grinned, squeezing Castiel’s hand in his own.

Castiel nodded as he followed Dean, the Omegas turned their gaze from the wreckage to Dean and Castiel could feel the rush. Their gratitude and the beginnings of happiness that they were free.

“Hey everyone, most of you guys don’t know me. I’m uh, I’m Dean Winchester. My brother Sam-he was here for a little while. Not long, nowhere near as long as most of you, but all the same...he was here and he was one of you for that time,” he started. “I know a lot of you have been around Alphas that weren’t so great and some worse than that. Betas that treated you as if you were their property to market. That will not be happening any more.” 

“I know that you see me and you think Alpha and there’s probably a good, rational amount of doubt inside you and I can’t say as I blame you, but for starters, I want you to take a good, long look at this beautiful man beside me because him,” Dean said, pointing directly to Castiel. “He’s the one in charge here.” 

“He was one of you for a lot of years, he knows your struggles, your pain, your  _ treatment _ , if it can even be called that. And he’s going to work with me every step of the way to make sure that each and every one of you has a chance at freedom, at a new life, with or without an Alpha of  _ your _ choice, not the other way around…” Dean breathed out a long breath and smiled, “What do you say to that, huh?” 

The sound that followed would ring in Castiel’s ears for years to come. Shouts and cries erupted into the air, leaving goosebumps along Castiel’s skin in their wake. Many of the Omegas he recognized, some he would have to get to know once they were situated and he had time to sit with each one. 

“Rest now, eat the food that is provided and soon, before nightfall we will help you move to the Carlisle where rooms have been generously donated to home you while we work on something more permanent,” Castiel said. His voice was only slightly shaky and for that he was proud of himself.

Dean squeezed softly at Cas’ hand, reassuring his ridiculously nervous mate. 

“Go on, eat up...if you want to of course, and we have vans on the way if you have any valuables, sentimental or otherwise, please head over that way, to the last tent they just finished setting up and I’ve got some friends over there passing out bags or boxes if necessary, so nothing gets lost in the move,” Dean said, there was a silent moment in the crowd and he could feel a shift, until he realized what an idiot he’d been. “We will not be asking you to take eyes off your possessions. You can stay with them at all times. You will be allowed to label and tape them up yourself if you’d like, but regardless of how they’re handled...you won’t be giving them up.” 

The amount of palpable relief through the field of Omegas was damn near too much for him to take.

“Alright you guys, feel free to come talk to us if you need anything, if you’re more comfortable with my mate, that’s understandable. Just don’t hesitate to speak out. It’s likely if you need something, than one of your Omega brothers or sisters need it too. Whatever it is, we will do everything in our power to help you out. Try to relax and we’ll get everything sorted out as quickly as we can.” 

Castiel and Samandriel quickly bounded over and began helping the Omegas with their belongings. It was sad to see how little they had and it was a cold reminder of just how much of nothing both him and Samandriel had when they were first freed. 

Over the next course of a few hours, they got the boxes loaded onto the air conditioned buses and driven over to the luxurious hotel. Dean had whispered in his ear if Castiel would like to stay there as well to which he declined. He wanted to go home. To be surrounded by their mixture of scents, to know that he was safe and protected now by his mate...he needed that like a drug. First though, they made sure each Omega was taken care of and Castiel now had a list of which ones he needed more communication with. Which he would start after they got them moved into the more permanent place. For now, they were asked to pamper themselves and relax.

They had a week to think of nothing beyond their own pleasure and safety, after that...they could begin planning what they’d do with their freedom.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much all smut, you're welcome or you're welcome to skip it. Whatever your flavor is <3

Castiel stepped through the door of their home and took in a deep breath, his nerves easily floating away, especially when Dean’s arms wrapped around him from behind, “You were amazing today Dean,” he said softly.

“It wasn’t just me...Mac, Benny, Jody, a few others behind the scenes did a lot to make it work out the way it did. But.. thanks,” he said, kissing softly at Cas’ forehead. “I’m happy to be your knight in shining armor if it makes you happy...though I’m pretty sure if anyone was the damsel in distress, it was me.” 

“Well, we’re both damsels then because you have saved me more than you even realize Dean,” Castiel said, pulling back enough to peck at Dean’s lips. He led them upstairs into the bedroom. He could hear Dean sitting down on the bed as Castiel took off his shirt, the sharp inhale breath making him blush.

“Cas what are you-” 

Castiel didn’t answer. He was nervous as hell and this could go very wrong but Castiel wanted to be close to Dean. The kissing was wonderful but they never once took their shirts off and Castiel wanted to touch his mate’s skin. 

He kicked off his shoes and slowly closed the short distance between them. Not once did he break eye contact as he sat down in Dean’s lap, his legs straddling the Alpha’s, “Relax,” Castiel whispered as he started to pull up Dean’s shirt.

“Are you-I don’t, I mean...Are you sure this is a good idea?” Dean asked, though his pulse was pounding and he felt like he could pop right there. It had been too long since he’d even touched himself, night after night sharing a bed with Cas made things difficult for him, but he’d pushed it down because the company of his mate was more than enough to satisfy his heart. The rest of him could go to fucking hell. 

“This doesn’t have to be anything more than this,” Castiel said, pulling the shirt off completely and tossing it behind him. The sight of Dean’s upper body sent a tingle down his spine. Dean was beautiful, inside and out, seeing his mate like this was just the icing on the cake. He traced his fingers along Dean’s collarbone and shoulder, “I just want to be close.”

Dean nodded, it was all he  _ could _ do. A part of him, however small, was still worried, still panicked that having this, however light, would be too much. But more of him, most of him, was excited to have Cas warm, alive, pressed against him. After the day they’d had and how many names he’d seen crossed off, they both needed the reassurance that their bond was real and thriving. 

“I love you, sweetheart. I love you so much...you’re-Cas, you talk about how I saved you and I guess, maybe in some ways, I did. But you-,” He paused, unable to speak for a moment as his emotions wrenched tighter in his stomach. “You saved yourself. You got out, got your own place, sure...I helped out a bit in the beginning, more with the job, but you worked your ass off to build the life you wanted.” 

Dean squeezed his arms tighter around his mate. “I didn’t have anything that mattered before I laid eyes on you. I did my job because I was good at it and it paid the bills, I stayed sober because not being-well, it nearly killed me and God knows Sam would have never let me live it down…after everything we went through with dad.” 

“But you-you gave me something to live for again Cas. Something to make me talk, well mostly you made me grumble, bitch, and complain. But I guess that’s what it took, because at least I was caring about something again.” 

Castiel sniffled as a few tears spilled over, “I love you too Dean,” he whispered, cupping Dean’s face and kissing him, “Let’s just agree we saved each other okay?” he said, smiling big when Dean nodded. He hugged around the Alpha’s shoulders and sighed at the skin contact, his face burrowing against Dean’s neck.

“I guess I can live with that if you can,” he said, huffing out a small laugh as Cas hugged tighter around him. 

“C’mon, lay down...there’s something I want to do.” 

Castiel whined, not wanting to lose the intimacy they were sharing but Dean managed to persuade him to move off Dean’s lap then laid down on the bed.

Dean waited until his mate was comfortable, and then he moved to hover over him. He lowered himself down gently, just applying the pressure of his body weight slowly to give Cas time to say uncle, if need be. But he didn’t, instead he was practically purring. Dean rubbed their noses together and smiled. 

He pulled Cas’ lower lip between his own and nipped at it, allowing his mate to deepen the kiss a bit until they were both breathless and panting. 

Castiel moaned softly, his fingers still tracing over the muscles along Dean’s back and shoulders. The pressure of the Alpha on top of him was amazing. He’d been worried he’d grow scared or his mind would go to a dark place but it didn’t. If anything he pulled Dean closer, his legs spread a little so Dean’s could sink down even more. Castiel groaned into Dean’s mouth as their tongues slowly rolled against the other.

Soon his body began reacting naturally and Dean felt himself rutting against Cas. He jerked back momentarily but the Cas let out a whine and he realized that it wasn’t just him, Cas was moving his hips closer, begging for friction. 

Instinct took over and Dean soothed his whimpering Omega, “Shh I got you sweetheart,’ he said, as he reached between them and rubbed at the hard outline of Cas’ dick.

“Dean!” Castiel gasped sharply as his hips jerked up against Dean's palm. It felt a hundred times better then when he would touch himself. There was a gentle squeeze that had his head tilting back, exposing his neck to his mate.

“Feels amazing,” he moaned.

“So good for me, so beautiful, Cas,” Dean said, needing to make the statements as much as he was sure Cas needed to hear them. His mate had coped amazingly well through all the dribble they’d tried to shove in his head, but still Dean watched him sometimes struggle to find his true worth; both as a person and as an Omega.

“So perfect and strong, stubborn but warm, you are  _ everything _ a good Alpha would want, and you’re all mine.”

Castiel whined deep in his throat, the praise going straight into his heart and soothing over the cracks. He grabbed at Dean's shoulders and tried to pull the Alpha closer, “Only yours,” he gasped. 

“That’s it, sweetheart. Just let go, I’ve got you,” Dean said, his own cock straining for attention but he didn’t care. He just wanted-no needed to take care of his Omega. 

Castiel's mouth dropped open as the air in his lungs locked up. The pleasure of Dean touching him, the scent of his Alpha clouding his senses, it was enough to push him over the edge with a guttural moan. His hips pushed up against Dean's hand desperately as the tingling waves of his orgasm washed through. It was something he'd never experienced before. 

“Oh, oh wow,” he gasped, laughing a little breathlessly as he all but yanked Dean against him, attacking his lips in a hungry kiss. Somehow he managed to roll them over so he was straddling his Alpha again.

“C'mere,” Castiel growled, pulling Dean up to kiss again as he started to roll his hips down slowly.

“Ungh,” Dean grunted, the feeling of Cas against him was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He almost wanted to pull away, to tell Cas that his release wasn’t why he’d done what he done. But the wonderful pressure, alongside the intoxicating smell of Castiel and sweat and sex and  _ mate.  _ It was all too much.

“Cas I’m-“

Castiel pulled away just enough to gaze into Dean’s eyes and gave him a sweet smile, “Cum for me Alpha,” he groaned and sped up, pressing their foreheads together as Dean’s breathing increased.

There wasn’t anything inside him capable of ignoring that request, surprisingly Dean found himself wanting it more than he’d imagined possible. The orgasm ripped through him almost violently but the warmth of Cas, that particular note of sweetness that meant Castiel was happy, proud, maybe even a little smug, soothed the intensity down to a low, but heady afterglow.

Castiel wrapped around Dean tightly, holding his Alpha close as they slowly came down from their highs. He was damn near purring and wasn’t ashamed of it. Dean smelled amazing and happy, making Castiel want to burrow in as much as physically possible. 

Before either of them were truly ready for it, the stickiness in their pants was becoming uncomfortable and Castiel sighed petulantly, “I guess we should clean up,” he grumbled with a pout.

“I’ll get it,” Dean said, kissing softly at Cas’ forehead. 

He eased himself off the bed, as careful as he could not to disturb Castiel’s comfort. Stepping into the bathroom he couldn’t help but catch sight of his own smiling face. It felt foreign to him, not happiness, that had happened a lot since he’d met Cas but, the gaze seemed unfamiliar, settled almost. Dean never imagined that would be something he could find without having Sammy home and healthy.

He still missed the kid like an open wound and he imagined he always would unless miracles really did happen and he managed to find him again one day. For now though, he pushed himself to focus on the happiness because as much as he felt like a failure to himself, he knew it’s what Sam would want, what Cas wanted. 

Dean cleaned himself off, not bothering to redress. Then he warmed the washcloth up for Castiel and squeezed it out a bit so it wouldn’t drip. 

He walked back into the bedroom and smiled at his ridiculous mate buried under the covers. “Come out of there so I can clean you up.”

Castiel blushed at the sight of Dean in all his naked glory. He was beautiful and Castiel yearned to touch him just to make sure he was real. Slowly, Castiel sat up to reveal that he had peeled off the rest of his clothes too and stood up in front of Dean, “Hi,” he said, laughing softly.

“Hey sweetheart,” Dean grinned, shaking his head at his ridiculous mate. 

“Do you want me to...or?” he said, holding out the wash cloth.

“Please,” Castiel said, biting his lip as he took a small step back. This was the first time they were seeing each other completely naked and Castiel was not going to miss a second gazing at his mate’s body. He was all compact muscle with wide shoulders and a soft tummy that Castiel couldn’t help squeezing a few times.

“If you want me to get you cleaned up, you’re going to have to let go,” Dean teased, waiting until Cas pulled back to ease down onto his knees and gently wipe at everything before the washcloth cooled too much. 

“That it?” he asked, looking up at Castiel with a wide grin, knowing exactly the picture he made on his knees. He waited a beat, then said, “Cas? Did I get it all?” 

Castiel swallowed hard, his body shuddering with the image of Dean down on his knees. He couldn’t help it as slick began to form, filling the room with his scent, “Dean, I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, blushing crimson.

“What are you sorry for Cas?” Dean asked, softly. He made sure to keep his voice low and sweet and light and playful. He didn’t want a second of doubt about the fact that he was teasing his beautiful mate. “Sorry you’re turned on or sorry you’re making more of a mess for me to clean up?” 

Castiel huffed out a laugh, “Both?” he said swallowing hard. He lifted one of his hands to brush his fingers through Dean’s hair and relaxed. This was Dean, his mate, his  _ Alpha _ . Someone he could trust completely.

“No need to be sorry about either, I was just curious…” Dean answered, the edge of his lips lifting just a little. “Would you like me to keep trying to clean you up?” 

Castiel’s breath hitched in his throat but he managed to nod slowly.

“Sit down, Sweetheart,” Dean said, following until Castiel’s legs were parted in front of him. 

“You want me to clean you up with this?” he asked, holding the cloth up, “Or would you rather I use my mouth?” 

Castiel whined, “I-I don’t know,” he said and took in a deep breath to calm himself down, “Y-Your mouth if that’s okay?” 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to, sweetheart...just needed to hear you say it,” Dean answered, sitting the wet cloth down on the floor by his knee. “If you can, lay back and open up for me, Cas. Let me know if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

Castiel nodded and lowered down until he was flat on his back. Closing his eyes tightly he began to pull his knees forward but then shook his head, “No, no...c-can I be on my hands and knees instead?” he asked, swallowing hard as the nerves tried to overtake him. He wanted this so badly, to be even more intimate with Dean and now that his Alpha was comfortable with it, Castiel didn’t want to ruin it. 

“Of course, actually give me just a second,” Dean answered, pulling himself up from the floor. He sat down on the bed, facing the middle. “Now, if you’re more comfortable on your knees facing away from me that’s fine, but if-I’d you wanted-“

Dean felt the flush take over his cheeks. “I could umm lay down and you could be on top.”

“You’d let me…” Castiel felt a whole new gush of slick and gripped the sheets, “I um...j-just my hands and knees for now. I don’t know if I’d be able to hold myself up if I was over you,” he laughed a little. Castiel reached out and pulled Dean in for a kiss, just needing the touch to ground himself and get back to that calming feeling.

Dean nearly made a comment about how much holding up he’d be willing to do if it meant Cas was riding his face but he didn’t, not yet at least. “Whatever works for you, Cas.”

Castiel nodded and kissed his mate one more time before rolling over into position. Now this was easy, this he could do and feel his body relax into it. He spread his legs a bit more and lowered his chest down to really open himself up to the Alpha and bit his lip as his scent nearly exploded into the room.

Before diving in, Dean smiled and squeezed at Castiel’s leg in reassurance. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll take care of you.”


	12. Chapter 12

Gabriel popped a sucker into his mouth and smiled lewdly at the guard outside Crowley’s “office” though really it wasn’t anything more than a desk and a chair and a laptop that was older than Methuselah. 

While the man dressed in suits that were probably worth more than his car, and had all the trappings of a ridiculously wealthy Alpha, Gabriel knew how hard it had been on them lately to keep swooping in and dropping down bundles of cash. For some places it was easier than others. He’d hand the money off to someone and they’d hand it back. But others….there were just too many Omegas that were being carried off to market like herds of cattle. 

“Yeah, boss?” he said, once he finally made it through the door. 

Crowley shook his head slowly, the images on his screen completely baffling him. He didn't answer his assistant, just spun the monitor so Gabriel could see the headline.

_ Omega Center of Kansas raided and burned to the ground. _

Gabriel looked at him with narrowed eyes, “This is... _ good, _ right?” 

“Depends. The article says that several Alphas have stepped in to help place the Omegas,” he said with a sigh. It was a good thing but now Crowley was concerned of the welfare of those Omegas he had to unfortunately leave behind. 

Crowley narrowed his eyes at the next page of the article and cursed under his breath, “Gabriel. Does this Alpha look familiar to you?” He asked pointing to a dark blonde man with his arms wrapped around someone.

Gabriel stared at the image for longer than he probably needed. The story became clear pretty quickly and between breaths, he had Crowley pinned to the wall. 

“You fucking idiot…-” he said, almost unable to believe that his boss and sort of friend was actually capable of doing what he must have done. “You told him-Sam thinks-oh I do not feel sorry for you when he finds out. Hell, I might just tie you to the damn chair and let him at you right now!’ 

“Are you finished?” Crowley said, raising a brow. He straightened his suit back up and grumbled. 

“Not that I have to explain myself at all to you or Samuel, we had perfectly good reasons to do what he had to. His brother was bringing too much attention to Sam and we needed him to ‘disappear’ before that bastard Alpha found him,” Crowley sneered.

“And since? Crowley, it’s been _years_. If you think for one minute Sam would have been sitting here, helping you...all this time, with his brother still out there?” Gabriel shook his head, “You went about this all wrong. Let me guess, Dean got the same spiel? No more Sam to look for, no more problems for you, is that about right?” 

“Brady is still out there Gabriel, still searching for the ‘sweet omega’ he scented in the halls. And is still just as powerful as he was back then. That little prick can easily bring this whole operation down if he were to find out Sam Winchester’s location. Especially if he discovered the connection between Rowena and I. What do you think would happen if Dean knew about Sam? He would do everything in his power to get to him. Bringing that little pissant straight here. Sam's work has been incredibly vital, he just doesn't know that he's going to be the one to bring down one of the most vile Alphas in this country,” Crowley spat out.

“He will never forgive you, and he’s not just going to sit still and roll over because you tell him to,” Gabriel answered. He had his own reasons to be worried about Sam but even beyond that, he couldn’t hide his brother from him. As someone who had related to Sam all too well on that point, he knew he couldn’t let it hurt him any further.

“Like it or not, Sam’s going to know his brother is alive, and soon. So you better be prepared for the shitstorm that follows.”

Crowley sighed and moved back to his chair, “Oh I'm well aware. But I will be the one that tells him Gabriel. Not you, not anyone else. If he wants to come after someone, it'll be me. I know how big a torch you carry for the boy,” he sneered, lifting up his scotch to toss it back.

“Now, be a good lad and fetch him for me.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and nearly reminded Crowley just  _ who _ he got his orders from, but stopped himself at the last minute, the opportunity to see Sam with reasonable cause (not that not having one had ever stopped him) too good to pass up.

He went in search for the boy, though it was hardly difficult. Sam was where he always was, the library. He pulled the sucker from his lips with a pop and grinned over at Sam.

“Hey there big guy,” Gabriel said, wiggling his eyebrows at the ridiculously handsome Omega.

Sam rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the fond smile that grew on his lips. It had taken a while but Gabriel had officially grown on him, “What do you want midget?” he asked with a crooked smirk.

“What don’t I want?” he asked lewdly, putting the sucker back into his mouth. He wanted to savor the moment, half terrified that Sam would never forgive  _ him _ either, though he hadn’t known, of course he hadn’t…Still, the thought sobered his playful mood quickly.

Gabriel’s smirk fell and he cleared his throat, “Bossman wants to see you, sounded important.” 

Sam sighed, “Do I have to?” he asked with a chuckle. At Gabriel’s serious expression Sam got up and grabbed up his notebook, not knowing what to expect from Crowley. He’d been working for the man ever since he’d been “adopted” but the strange Alpha still threw him for a loop sometimes. 

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” he said and lead the way out of the room.

Gabriel nodded but didn’t speak, just led Sam down the hall and up the stairs to where Crowley was waiting in his office. He was tempted to follow the Omega inside, but quickly remembered, no matter how much he’d wanted...well, it wasn’t his business, or his fight. 

“In you go,” he said, taking a deep breath, before closing the door gently behind Sam. 

He looked over at the desk where the squirrely Omega was staring back at him, “You should go kid...it’s going to be a while.” 

Chuck nodded quickly and grabbed up his stuff before leaving his desk. 

Crowley looked up as Sam entered the room and gave him a small smile, “Sammy my boy, how are you?” he asked, folding his hands under his chin.

“Please tell me this isn’t a social call, Crowley…” Sam huffed, he appreciated everything the man had done for him but he didn’t  _ like _ him exactly. There had been this weird feeling in his gut for a while now but he’d pushed through it, not knowing what else to do. 

“No, of course not,” Crowley huffed, “Listen, there’s something you and I need to discuss. First and foremost, what I’m about to tell you, Gabriel had absolutely no involvement. He just barely found out himself five minutes ago and I demanded that he shut his damn trap so I can be the one to break the news,” Crowley said.

Sam’s stomach churned and that familiar  _ other _ feelings began to grow stronger. “What, what is it?” 

“I’m not going to waste yours or my time with excuses. You know what kind of man I am and ultimately what our goal is,” he said and waited for the short, curt nod he got from the Omega, “Now, that man Brady, the one I have you researching, I’m sure you’ve learned what level of asshole he is?” 

“Well yeah, it’s kinda hard to miss…” Sam answered, not really knowing what it had to do with anything. Not unless Crowley was finally going to make a move against the guy. 

“I usually try to not get too involved or invested in the Omegas that we rescue but you...Brady had his sights on you. From the moment Rowena sent me your name and I put a computer in front of you, I knew how special you were beyond this gender crap,” Crowley explained and sighed as he got up from his chair. He poured himself another scotch and held up the bottle, “Fancy some?”

“No, so what… you’re, wanting me to go undercover or something?” Sam asked, both intrigued and terrified by the idea of it. Brady was no joke and what he was doing to Omegas...Sam shuddered just thinking of what some of his files contained.. Still..if they needed help catching the evil sonuvabitch, he’d be willing to do it. 

“No, not yet anyway. I do want you to be the one take this sick bastard down. To be the one standing above him laughing because he wanted to own you Sam. To make you one of his slaves in those dungeons he has. No matter what happens after this conversation Sam, know this for certain. He will be taken down by your hand,” Crowley said and then downed the brownish liquid.

“Okay…” Sam looked at Crowley in confusion. He understood that they’d been working to figure out what exactly Brady was up to, and he figured it was so that when the time came, they could stop it. So none of this was technically  _ news _ but the man across from him looked almost pale, even for his usual self and he hadn’t quite figured out why. Though with every moment that passed, the strange feeling in his stomach grew. 

“Please understand, we did what we thought was best. That Brady would have taken any opportunity to ruin this operation and take you away,” Crowley said softly and then turned his monitor that had the picture of Dean Winchester holding who Crowley knew now was his mate, Castiel Novak.

“Dean-,” Sam said, his breath hitching in his throat keeping any other sounds from breaking through. He blinked at the screen, his eyes double and triple and quadruple checking everything, from the photo to the date on the article, to the photo of his previous home turned to a pile of rubble. 

Once he was able to breathe again, Sam drew his eyes up to the Alpha across from him. “He’s alive...he’s been alive all this time and you-you lied to me.” 

“Yes, I did. Dean was told the same lie about you Sam. He was bringing too much attention to us and we had to act. If we left you there for one more day, Naomi would have sold you to Brady and you’d truly, be lost. I had planned on telling you about Dean after this was over but...it seems like your brother likes to play hero too,” Crowley said, tapping the headline of the article.

“It’s been years...Crowley... _ YEARS! _ You could have fucking told me, I could have sent him a letter explaining that it was dangerous for him to keep looking you don’t- FUCK,” Sam felt his emotions getting the better of him and before he could stop himself his knuckles were stinging with pain and the Alpha across from him was wiping at his bloodied lip.

Sam grabbed his things from where they’d fallen on the floor and turned to face the man he’d always thought had saved him. “You don’t mess with someone’s family like that...I don’t care who you are.” 

He tore through the door, letting it nearly bounce on the hinges as he made his way out and down the stairs. He had research to do, and then he’d be gone. 

Gabriel had nearly fell over when the door slammed open. He peaked in and shook his head at the sight of Crowley gingerly wiping at his lip. Asshole rightly deserved it, no matter how good he thought his intentions were. Gabriel had to run to catch up with the Omega who was nearly to his room already.

“Sam, Sam wait, hey,” he called out.

“I’m busy-” he started, but he couldn’t bring himself to be upset with Gabriel. It obviously hadn’t been his fault, even if he couldn’t trust a damn word out of Crowley’s mouth, nobody who’d lost someone like they-like he had, would have let that go. “Look, I get you didn’t know but I’m going to find my brother and there’s not a damn thing any of you can do to stop me.” 

“Wasn’t gonna stop ya Samsquatch, was going to offer my help if you wanted it. Hell, I’ll even hand deliver a letter or whatever you need to the post office,” he said.

“That’s not enough anymore, Gabe...I need to see him, it’s been-it’s been too long,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I’m not going to sit around and twiddle my thumbs while Dean is out there somewhere-not somewhere,  _ Kansas. _ ” 

“Well let’s start there, we’ll find out where he is and go from there. Give yourself a minute though Sam okay? We gotta do this smart. I know Crowley’s a son of a bitch but he did have a point about that prick Brady,” Gabriel said and then laughed at how Sam’s face scrunched up, “Yeah I was listening so sue me.”

As much as it killed him to admit it, Gabriel had a point. Sam didn’t care about himself, he knew if he could make it to Dean there wasn’t a force on earth that could stop the two of them, but he didn’t want to give away the location of the Sanctuary. He really did need to protect the other Omegas. 

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. He thought about it for a moment, and chewed his lip. “You better have been serious about helping...because I know just what you’re gonna do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy Sammy's alive !! <3 Don't hate me anymore please? K, thanks.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys, but I'll try to finish it up some time soon.

Gabriel cleared his throat, the nerves racing to an all time high as he moved up the steps to the address he had on his phone. It was an ordinary town house but this was where Crowley had told him that Dean not only lived with his Omega mate but also where he conducted his business. 

Taking in a deep breath he knocked on the door and waited.

Castiel looked up from his computer and frowned. There was nothing on the calendar for someone coming to see them, “Come in!” he called out. The door slowly opened and he was met with a short, long haired Alpha. Someone he had never seen before. Castiel tilted his head a bit and gave the man a smile, “Hello, welcome to Winchester Security, I’m Dean Winchester’s assistant, what can I do for you?” he said.

“I uh...I need to talk to Dean. It’s a personal matter,” Gabriel said. The Omega before him was attractive but couldn’t hold a candle to Sam. 

Castiel frowned a little, “May I ask what this personal matter is about? Dean doesn’t like to be bothered unless it’s a pre scheduled appointment,” he explained, his tone growing a bit firmer.

“I’d rather speak with him about this, please.”

“I’m sorry but-”

“It’s about his brother.”

That shut Castiel up and all the friendly veneer he usually wore with clients melted away instantly. He shot out of his chair and would have laughed at how startled the Alpha got but the mention of Sam was too important.

“He’s alive...isn’t he?”

“C’mon man…”

“Ugh, hold on!” Castiel grumbled as he hurried back to his desk to dial up Dean’s private line.

“Yeah?” he picked up, casually listening as he checked the  _ not so legally obtained _ video footage from businesses that were positioned near the center. None of them were close enough to catch sight of anyone actually walking in, but a few had repeat customers that had also visited the center. Cas was able to identify a few of them for him, none of which had shown an interest in Sam apparently. 

Distracted, he realized his mate had been talking and he’d completely missed it. 

“Sorry sweetheart, what was that?”

“Dean, I need to close up down here for a moment. There’s someone here that needs to speak with you upstairs, it’s urgent,” he said and then turned away from the strange Alpha, “He said it’s about Sam.”

The urge to rush out of the room was strong but a sinking in his stomach stilled his would be movements. 

“Send him up,” he said, somehow the words came out despite the shock he felt, but he needed to know, whatever it meant..whatever it held, he needed to know 

Castiel nodded and hung up the phone. He moved around the Alpha to make sure the front door was locked and then gestured for him to follow up the stairs. Knocking once on the door, he opened it and allowed for the Alpha to move past him. Castiel entered as well, quickly going to stand next to his mate.

“Can um...this should be discussed in private,” Gabriel said, eyeing the Omega.

“He’s mine...whatever needs to be said, can be said with him here,” Dean answered, Castiel’s comforting presence and scent allowed him to find his voice once again. “What’s this about my brother?”

Gabriel sighed with relief. He’d been hoping that this Omega was Dean’s mate. The picture had only shown the back of the Omega’s head.

“My apologies. My name is Gabriel Loki. I’ve been fortunate enough to know and work with your brother Sam for the past several years. I came with a message from him,” he said and handed over the thumbdrive.

“He’s alive?” Dean asked, his hand shaking as the plastic stick was pushed into it. “Sammy’s-he’s really alive?” 

“Yes. As much as the circumstances were horrible and he is kind of a dick, my boss had only the best intentions to Sam’s welfare,” he said.

“Who’s your boss?” Castiel asked, gently taking the stick from Dean to get it plugged into the computer.

“A man named Fergus Crowley.”

Dean growled so loudly it was as if the room was shaking, “He’s the one who told me Sam was dead he-he brought me-he brought me pictures…-” 

Castiel hugged around Dean’s back, his face pressed against his mate’s neck, “It’s okay. Sam’s alive,” he whispered gently.

Gabriel sighed heavily, his head falling back, “I was being gracious saying my boss was a dick. He’s a monumental prick but I can assure you, he had his reasons. Have you ever heard of an Alpha named Brady O’Connel?” he said.

Castiel frowned, his poor Alpha was still growling and trembling in his arms, “That sounds familiar,” he said.

“It should. He makes the worst Alphas look like puppies,” Gabriel spat, “The bastard is the ring leader to all the Omega Slave trades, Naomi was his contact here. According to Crowley, Brady caught sight of your brother at that center that you burned down, nice job by the way, and wanted him. Our contact who is higher up-”

“Rowena,” Castiel said and smiled when Gabriel blinked in shock.

“Hey, you’re not the only one who knows things…’ Dean answered, there was a small smug feeling in his chest but it was still drowned out by anxiety over Sammy.

“Well then, yes, Rowena. She found out Brady’s intentions for Sam and put the order in as top priority to get him out of there.”

“So let me get this straight, Crowley took Sammy to  _ ‘protect’ _ him but-” 

“Just watch the video Dean,” Gabriel said pointing to the computer.

Castiel jerked away from Dean to quickly access the one and only file in the storage device and bit his lip as he double clicked on it. He moved out of the way but not far, knowing his mate needed him to stay close.

Dean watched through the video, the sound barely registering at all. Sammy was-he was  _ big...grown, hell...he was old _ . Rationally Dean knew that Sam wasn’t the same kid he’d been separated from all those years ago, but seeing him like this...it was deafening. It wasn’t a long video, maybe ten minutes and yet he still didn’t register a single word spoken. Tears spilled down his cheeks and Castiel’s reassuring hands stayed on him, at all times, but when it stopped, he just started it back over again. 

Castiel gently squeezed at Dean’s shoulders and slowly moved over to the other Alpha, “Please give us a few minutes,” he said softly. Gabriel gave him a knowing smile and nodded. Castiel didn’t watch him leave, just moved back to Dean and rubbed at his back and shoulders.

The second time he watched through it, some of the sound played in his ears, though most of it was still muted from shock. He managed to pick up enough, Sam was fine, he had been fine for a long time and he too, had been lied to. Then came the part where he nearly stormed down to Kansas but they had a sanctuary full of Omegas that would have been in danger if he did. 

Dean swallowed. Sam was fully grown now, there was no reason that he couldn’t petition the court to be on his own but he’d enjoyed his work and he’d said without Dean, there hadn’t been reason. He would, and soon, but they were, he was hoping to put Brady out of business first. 

After the fourth time, Dean looked at the screen and smiled. “Well if you wanted my help, Sammy… all you had to do was ask.” 

“Cas...call Mac and Bela, we’ve got work to do.” 

Castiel smiled brightly. Everything they had heard about Crowley was thankfully a huge lie. A ruse to keep other Alphas from sniffing around his compound no doubt. To think, the big bad boogie man was actually saving Omegas and giving them safety. He shook his head and kissed at Dean’s cheek.

“You got it Dean,” he said grabbing at Dean’s phone instead of going downstairs. He had the two numbers memorized seeing as how those were the two he’d been dialing a lot lately. He spoke to each of them quickly and then hung up.

“Mac will be here soon but Bela won’t be able to arrive for another hour or so,” he said.

“That’s fine...I hate to ask it of you, but could you do me a favor with that one?” Dean asked nodding toward the door where he imagined Gabriel was waiting. 

“Anything you want,” Castiel said, turning to look at Dean.

“Just keep him busy, entertain him whatever it is I just-I don’t know how much I want him to be involved just yet,” he said softly, getting even quieter before he continued. “We’re making a play at bringing Sam home or at least just getting to him and I can’t let anything get in the way of that.” 

“Of course. Just keep me informed okay?” Castiel asked. He didn’t mind being kept out of the meetings and knew Dean would share everything with him but sometimes he needed the extra reassurance from his mate.

“Always,” he said, pulling his Omega in for a quick kiss. “Thanks, Sweetheart. I’ll order pizza or something for everybody so you don’t have to worry about cooking. Just focus on keeping him out.” 

* * *

MacCready whistled a random tune as he took the familiar steps up to Dean’s home and business two at a time. He didn’t bother knocking, this wasn’t a social call, it was business. He did however pause when he didn’t see familiar blue eyes blinking at him from the desk.

“Yo Cas?” he called out.

Castiel came out of the kitchen with a tight smile and MacCready was instantly on guard.

“What-”

“Nothing’s wrong, just stressed out right now. Go upstairs, Dean’s waiting for you,” Castiel said and then as quickly as he’d come into the room, he was going back into the kitchen. MacCready shrugged and bounded up the stairs, giving Dean’s office door one tap before pushing his way through.

“Hey boss man, everything with Cas okay? I mean...whoa...are  _ you _ okay?” MacCready asked after getting a good look at his boss. Dean looked....different? He was comfortable enough in his sexuality to admit that his boss was pretty damn easy on the eyes but Dean was freaking glowing, with a soft yet determined smile.

“It’s good, just crazy…” Dean answered, his smile felt as if it was growing by the minute. Sammy was alive and he was going to bring him home. 

“New recovery mission, new target takedown...though I’m not sure which comes first. My head says takedown, heart recovery,” he answered, chewing at his lip. He knew he could always count on Mac to keep him straight.

“A takedown? Who’s the target?” MacCready asked.

Dean slapped a vanilla folder across the desk, allowing a few minutes for Mac to get caught up. “His name is Brady O’Connel, nasty sonovabitch, he’s been running almost all of the Omega slave rings for over a decade,” Dean paused, “More importantly, he’s after my brother.”

MacCready stilled, the color in his face draining as he stared at the folder on the desk. There was no way. Brady...he was a weasel sure but he couldn’t possibly be-

“Fuck,” MacCready growled, snatching at the folder. He barely got a glimpse inside before he threw it back down.

“Dean...there’s somethin I gotta tell you man,” MacCready said wiping a hand down his face.

Dean’s eyes narrowed in confusion, “Okay? What is it?” 

“For the past year….I've been working for Brady, let me explain!” MacCready shouted holding his hands up as Dean snarled, “I had no fucking clue the mark was your brother. His code name was S.W. No affiliations...no family. All he told me was to bring any news on the whereabouts of a man named Crowley and when he or some chick named Rowena moved. Then when he found out I was working for you... he got excited and wanted tabs on you. I should have put the two together and I'm sorry for that boss,” he said breathing heavily. If he had known that Brady was capable of half the shit listed on just that first page he would have slit the guy's throat himself. 

“I can give him to you Dean.”

I’m gonna knock the shit out of you when you least expect it, I think that’s fair,” he answered trying to remember that at least Mac had come clean and maybe they had a real shot of putting Brady in the ground now. “As for giving him to me, that’s something I’ll hold you to.”

MacCready nodded, “Deal. Whenever you wanna take the prick down, count me in and I'll get you his schedule,” he said with a firm nod.

“Okay, so first… I’m going to visit Sammy. You and Bela will work together to keep Brady out of the loop. We’ll make him think I’m somewhere I’m not, so it doesn’t draw any attention to Sam and the other Omegas,” Dean said, breathing out a sigh of relief. Since the moment he’d seen Sam’s face he wanted nothing more than to get in his baby, drive to wherever the hell he had to drive to, and bring his brother back. 

MacCready nodded, a plan already formulating in his head, “We can certainly do that. Is there anyone that you can send to use one of your credit cards? Show some paper trail to anywhere you’re not?” he asked.

“I’ll make it work, whatever we need to do, I’ll get it done but I’m gonna get together with Sam and then we can figure this Brady mess out between the three of us, well...four or five or six, I don’t know, it just keeps growing,” he said rubbing at his temple a bit. “Cas and I will take a rental up, or borrow Benny’s truck maybe. I want nothing more than to drive my baby but she sticks out like a sore thumb and we don’t know how many eyes he’s got keeping watch.” 

“As far as I know, it’s only me keeping tabs on you. But Louisiana where Crowley is, he’s probably got eyes on him all over the place,” MacCready said rubbing at his face, “You’re gonna need to start taking blockers, Castiel too so they won’t catch a new scent in the area,” he said.

Dean nodded, “I don’t care what it takes, we’re going.” 

* * *

  
  


Hey,

Coming to see you soon. 

Don’t worry, I’ll be safe. 

-D

Sam read the short, curt message and though there was a tendril of fear that rolled through his spine there was more excitement and hope than he’d felt in a long time. Though the server he used was secure, Sam didn’t bother responding. If he objected, Dean would ignore him, and if he told him how great it would be to see him again, it would just be cheesy. So he stayed quiet. 

He left the email open where he could look back at it every so often, but Sam continued on with his work. There was someone, either consistently stalking his brother, or worse, someone close to him, someone he trusted feeding information to Brady and he needed to figure out who it was. 

Sam rolled his eyes at how ignorant the man truly was. He’d sent a crystal dish, small wireless microphone embedded into the base below the sticker and while he wasn’t able to pick up  _ every _ conversation, he was able to get a lot. Anytime Brady had his computer open and connected to the internet the mic automatically powered on. 

So when he heard the conversation about who he now knew was Dean, everything changed.

Gabriel balanced the tray filled with Sam’s favorite food with a few things on there for himself. He knocked on Sam’s office door a few times before pushing it open, “Hey Sammykins, lunch is served,” he said placing the tray down with a flourish.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Gabe… I know what this is…” Sam said, though a warm smile did form on his lips and despite himself, a fondness grew there whenever he saw the ridiculous Alpha. 

Gabriel blushed as he froze, “Oh? And uh...what do you think this..this is exactly?” he laughed. He thought he’d been pretty good at hiding but then again, Crowley even knew about his attempts to court Sam so maybe he really is that bad.

“I’m not watching the cameras while you sneak into Crowley’s office again, there’s plenty of candy in town you can go buy yourself some,” Sam said, a chuckle following behind the words. He knew it wasn’t really about the candy, Gabriel just liked pissing Crowley off and though that asshole Crowley was  _ not _ his favorite person at the moment, it was kind of sweet that he always kept a few things for some of the younger Omegas when they had their check-ins. 

Gabriel’s heart seized in his chest before rabbiting into a furious rhythm. He let out a bark of laughter and shook his head, “Yeah well, you know how much I like to get his panties in a twist and all-”

_ “Ah, there you are, finally.” _

_ “Well it’s not been easy, bossman’s kept me busy. Got a big trip coming up.”  _

_ “Hmm, must be all those little contracts he managed to wrangle in. It is surprising how he’s been able to keep his pathetic business open. Were you able to get the location of where he is going then?”  _

Gabriel frowned as he moved closer, Sam showing him a notepad where he’d written that he was looking into someone who might be selling information about Dean. Gabriel cursed under his breath and lowered into the extra seat Sam always had for him.

_ “Says it’s something big, that brunette from the agency...can’t remember her name, wants him to come out of retirement. Says she’s got some big fancy movie star and it’s in the contracts that she’s allowed to call him in if we’re short staffed...and we are. She’s got the rest of the guys either in New York or California.”  _

_ “Alright then. Well, we’ll see where the money pops up and then you will go personally to follow him. Do not disappoint me this time MacCready.” _

The audio cut off with a slam, Sam easily recognized the voice of Brady’s laptop closing after having heard it so many times. He chewed his lip, though he had a safe connection, he worried about where or when Dean might open the email. Still...he should probably tell him there was a traitor in his crew. 

Gabriel chewed on his lip, “MacCready...why the hell...oh shit,” he said and slapped his forehead. Everyone had called that guy who randomly showed up as Mac, even Castiel, Dean’s Omega. But both of them had seemed very fond of him. He said as much to Sam and sighed, “I don’t know. I think your brother trusts him a lot, Sam.”

“You know this guy, this...MacCready?” Sam asked, turning to Gabriel with a confused but definitely unamused expression. 

“Yeah. He was in the house when I went to deliver your message. Seemed like a decent guy, wasn’t shady or anything but then again, he is doing a job,” Gabriel said.

“You said Dean trusts him...but he’s feeding Brady information,” Sam answered, shaking his head. It wasn’t like his brother not to do background before trusting someone. Dean was nothing if not predictable and he didn’t trust hardly anyone. 

A hollow pang throbbed in his gut as Sam was quickly reminded that he didn’t know Dean all that well anymore...it had been almost ten years. “I don’t like it, we need to get another message to Dean-” 

“Sam, I’m not going back,” Gabe said with a grimace. He grabbed at the bag of gummies on the tray and threw a few of them into his mouth.

Sam huffed, “I wasn’t asking you to, Gabriel. I’ll figure something out.” 

He stared back at that email and after a great deal of thought, he finally hit reply. 

D, 

It will be good to see you, have a safe trip. 

Maybe when you get here we’ll watch The Godfather, like old times. 

See you soon. 

-S

“The Godfather? I have mistaken you for someone with taste,” Gabriel chuckled, not at all ashamed that he was reading over Sam’s shoulder. The Omega gave him a look to which he merely shrugged at and returned to his chair.


	14. Chapter 14

  
  


Castiel took in a deep breath as he climbed out of the car. He loved Dean. He loved being near him and being able to touch him whenever he wanted but having to ride in a car he was not used to sitting in for hours made him want to pull his hair. His back hurt, he had a migraine and he was feeling incredibly nauseous. In all his life he couldn’t remember a time ever being in a car. Not until recently when he and Dean would go to the store. Maybe it was car sickness, he wasn’t entirely sure. He was however, trying to keep it from his mate. He was absolutely refusing to take any attention away from Dean getting to Sam.

Castiel was thankful when Dean decided to pull over for a break.

“C’mon, let’s go for a walk,” Dean said. He’d been so dead set on getting to Sam as soon as possible that he forgot how hard road trips were for people who weren’t used to them. Cas was obviously trying so damn hard to enjoy himself, keep calm and not to let his discomfort be known but Dean had figured it out. It would have happened sooner if they weren’t both on blockers he guessed, but all the same; he knew when his mate wasn’t feeling well and was trying to hide it. 

“You want to get some food while we’re here?” He asked, threading their fingers together as they moved down the small town sidewalk away from his baby.

“Um...maybe in a bit,” Castiel said, moving close to Dean to rest his head against his shoulder as they walked. Having his feet flat on the ground was comforting and Dean pressed against his side helped soothe his nerves even more. He just wished he could scent his mate. Having to take the stronger blockers was understandable, he didn’t have to like it though.

“How much longer until we get to Crowley’s compound?” Castiel asked.

“It’s just a few hours but we can take a few minutes...sometimes long car rides are hard on people who haven’t done it before,” Dean said, kissing softly at Cas’ forehead. “Sammy and I grew up on wheels so it’s not as hard for us-me, at least.” 

Castiel nodded, “I’ve been having fun with you though,” he said. Though his stomach was still a little upset, he couldn’t deny that some of the food places they were passing smelled delicious. When they came across a small sub shop, Castiel nodded towards it.

“I know, and one day, when everything is  _ settled _ . We can do this again, really take our time though so you’re not pinned down for hours and hours before stopping. We can just make a weekend trip over to Pike’s Peak or somewhere else, anywhere you want,” Dean promised, opening the door of the sandwich place and holding it open so that Cas could follow in behind him. 

The smells of the place were devine and his mouth watered just thinking about it but he worried Cas’ stomach wouldn’t take the food as well as he hoped. “Maybe we should sit a bit, after we eat...or I could take you down to the pharmacy and grab some dramamine or something. I don’t want you to be queasy the whole time. That’s not fun for you, and vomit does not mix with Baby’s leather.” 

“I’m sorry Dean, I didn’t want to inconvenience you,” he sighed, rubbing at his face as they got in line. 

“Hey...Don’t get me wrong, getting to Sam….that’s important to me. I’m coming out of my skin just thinking about it, to be honest. But never, not one second since I met you, have you ever been an inconvenience, Cas.” 

Despite the fact that people were staring, Dean pressed another quick kiss to Cas’ forehead. “I love you, sweetheart. And as eager as I am to see my brother again, that doesn’t make me want to keep you safe, protected, happy, annnnd with a full and warm non-volatile tummy, any less.” 

Castiel ducked his head shyly and giggled as he snuggled into Dean for a second. The line moved and there was a cough from behind them. He sighed at having to peel himself off of Dean. He kept his order light, nothing too extravagant to keep his stomach from throwing a fit. 

Once they had their food they moved outside to sit down at one of the tables, “I’ve never been outside of Kansas,” he said as they started to tuck in.

“Well that’s gonna change,” Dean promised, and then thought about what he’d said. “If you want it to, anyway. I sometimes forget that some people are content with what they know, what they’ve seen. While I can’t understand it because I’ve loved a lot of the places we’ve been and I just can’t imagine not having that urge for adventure and I don’t know, exploration.” 

“Oh I would love to travel with you. See all those weird oddities along the way, next time I’ll be more prepared though with that medicine you said earlier,” Castiel chuckled and started to eat. His sandwich was delicious but he made sure to eat slowly along with a lot of water.

Dean watched Castiel as he ate and it was the most ridiculous thing but he just...he  _ wanted _ in a way he hadn’t ever wanted before. It wasn’t about the sex, obviously...he’d been practically icy on that front for most of their relationship but when he looked at Cas with that warm smile and a little bit of sauce at the corner of his lips, he just wanted all their days to be filled with warmth and laughter. He wanted every day of his life to be just like it was in that moment. 

“I love you,” he said unprompted, barely stopping himself from continuing on. It was a stupid thing, to want to propose, to want to suggest mating while sitting on patio furniture in a foreign city with people around everywhere, but he’d wanted to. 

Cas deserved better, and he’d do everything in his power to make sure his mate got the best proposal he could give. 

Castiel smiled softly and reached out for Dean’s hand, “I love you too,” he said.

Dean made sure to stop somewhere and grab some dramamine just in case, he didn’t want Cas to miss out on the trip, the adventure because he was sleeping, which was a likely side effect, but he also didn’t want his mate to be miserable for the entire trip either. 

He put the small box in the glove compartment and made Cas promise to tell him if he was uncomfortable with nausea again instead of trying to hide it. Thankfully the trip wasn’t much longer and the closer they got, the more nerves were acting up in his own belly. Dean was excited, sure...but it had been over ten years, what if they didn’t have anything in common anymore...what if Sammy had outgrown him? The kid looked pretty tall...hell he wasn’t even a kid anymore, he was a full grown adult. 

He pushed down all the anxiousness he felt and sped forward because whatever the outcome was, Dean wasn’t letting another wasted minute pass before dragging his kid brother in to his arms and squeezing the ever lovin’ shit out of him. 

Castiel read off the address again, glancing down at his phone every few minutes to make sure they were in the right place. They’d been driving next to a high brick wall for what seemed like forever until finally an iron gate appeared. There was a speaker box next to it and Castiel bit his lip, “The code Sam sent down was 666,” he said and then grimaced. Dean rolled his eyes and typed it in, the gates swinging open slowly. 

Whatever he had been expecting, what the reality was came nowhere close.

There was a long dirt road that seemed to go on for miles and going through what looked like a village. There were homes of various sizes all over the place with people coming and going as they pleased. With one deep breath, he knew that ninety percent of them were Omegas.

“Oh my Gods,” Castiel said. These were all the Omegas Crowley had adopted. It truly was a sanctuary and not some house of horrors they’d been told for so long. 

“You okay?” Dean asked, as he continued to drive the long road that would hopefully at some point, lead to his brother. Not being able to scent Cas and his emotions was really fucking with him, but he knew the blockers were important. 

“Yes, I just wasn’t expecting this,” Castiel said. Everyone seemed so...at peace. There were no strong scents of stress filling the air, no screams, no crying Omegas. It was relatively quiet and that threw him. 

They finally got the car parked and Castiel waited as patiently as he could for Dean to open his door for him. He wanted to explore, to talk to these other Omegas but he took his mate’s hand instead to follow him towards the door.

When Dean was finally there, on the literal doorstep to the place where Sam had been all these years, a wave of fear washed over him. Thankfully, Cas was there at his side to allow him to breathe, though his mate’s warm sugary scent was definitely missed.

Dean knocked, not sure what to expect...not sure if he was allowed to just walk in. It really hadn’t stopped him for most of his life but he wouldn’t mess things up for Sam just because he couldn’t mind his damn manners. 

  
  
  
  


Gabriel straightened up his shirt and quickly opened the door, “Hey, welcome to Crowley’s Den,” he laughed and then abruptly stopped, “Sorry, I’m told I can be a little much at times. Please, come in,” he said and moved out of the way.

They were guided inside and Dean wasted no time getting to the point, “Where’s Sam?” 

“Right here,” Sam answered, rushing forward, nearly tackling his brother back against the door as soon as the man beside him was out of harm’s way. “It’s so good to see you, Dean.” 

“Damn, Sammy...you got big,” Dean answered, the emotion of it all was already hard to take and he hadn’t been with the guy for a full minute yet.

Castiel watched the brothers embrace each other for a long time. After a few minutes he gently poked at Gabriel's arm and asked where the kitchen was. Before leaving, he made sure Dean looked up at him to let his mate know where he was going before following the other Alpha out of the room.

Sam squeezed around Dean tightly and pulled back to get a better look at his brother, “Damn you got old,” he teased, “I can't believe you're standing here in front of me right now.”

“Same kid….I-Sam I’m sorry, if I had it to do all over again I’d have dragged your ass out of there that same day, legal or not,” Dean said, the old feelings of guilt and regret bubbling to the surface. How could Sam not blame him for all the hell he’d gone through? Sure the sanctuary seemed to be a decent place but even one night in that goddamn center was too many.

Sam shook his head as he cupped Dean’s face, “Things would have gone a whole lot worse for us if you’d done that. I don’t blame you Dean, I know how hard you tried to get me out, you’ve always been a stubborn ass,” he chuckled and lowered his hands with a sigh.

“That’s why a tiny part of me never truly believed Crowley when he told me you were dead.”

Dean turned his head to the side, almost ashamed to look his brother in the eye. He’d had no such problems believing that his brother was gone. Sure, it had nearly killed him, but he believed it.

Dean pushed down all the raw emotions bubbling in his stomach and focused on the good, Sam was there with him and real and alive. 

“So, tell me about your life, what’s been going on all these years…?” Dean asked, following Sam to a seating area. It was almost painful to let go of the physical connection again but he didn’t want to act like a freak. Thankfully, Sam sat down beside him and it was enough to ground him to the moment.

Sam shrugged a bit, “Well, a lot I guess. I mean, from the moment we arrived here, I was terrified. I wasn’t told what was going to happen or who Crowley even really was. I just noticed the way the other Alphas moved around him, like he was some dangerous person,” he laughed as he brushed his fingers through his hair.

“Which, is so far from the truth by the way. He has a lot of power and pull and some pretty words when he works at it but other than that...he’s just an ass. But without him, I guess stuff would have been a lot worse.”

Dean nodded, as much as he hated the man for everything he’d put them through the last ten years, he knew that whatever he did, it was to protect Sam and he couldn’t be mad about that. Sure, he wanted to punch the asshole’s face in but that could wait until the Brady mess was wrapped up.

“No Alphas sniffing around? I mean sure, you’re still a giant nerd but that’s got to be someone’s cup of tea,” he said, smiling softly when Cas came and sat down a couple mugs of coffee and a tray of snacks. His mate had been there all of five minutes and was already making himself at home. It was one of the many things Dean loved about him.

Sam laughed a little with a shrug, “I uh...well, not really? Crowley’s very strict about which Alphas are on the grounds and they have to have extensive background checks and psych evaluations from this intense woman named Pamela Barnes who lives here too. Once they pass, then Crowley decides what to do with them. Gabriel’s one of the few who live here on the compound permanently and he’s….kinda been the only one to show interest,” he said blushing a little. He snatched up one of the coffees and sipped at it as he failed to avoid Dean’s stare.

“Do I need to grab him by the scruff and hang him from the flag pole or is he behaving himself?” Dean asked, grimacing back toward the kitchen where his own Omega was waiting with said Alpha.

“Oh he’s been a perfect gentleman Dean,” Sam laughed, “He’s a sweetheart. Sometimes he acts like he thinks I don’t know he’s trying to flirt or has been very slowly courting me but I do,” he said and smiled softly as he thought about all the small gifts that Gabriel had been giving him over the years. No matter how small or insignificant they were, Sam kept every single one. 

“Well if that’s what you want…” Dean said with a shrug. “But just so you know, there’s plenty of other Alphas out there if you wanna look for something different,” Dean promised, not wanting his brother to settle for second best just because he’s been trapped in a small commune with little exposure to Alphas beyond Gabriel and Crowley. 

“I have a couple friends I could set you up with...decent guys, or girls...whatever you want.” He wasn’t exactly trying to  _ discourage _ Sam from whatever was going on with Gabriel but he didn’t want his little brother thinking he didn’t have options.

Sam laughed softly, “We’ll see. I do like Gabriel and he hasn’t pressured me or even mentioned anything so I know he’s giving me all the time and space I need. But, he’s still showing his interest in his oh so subtle ways,” he grinned, moving over to bump Dean’s shoulder with his.

“And Castiel?” he asked and then continued when Dean nodded, “How did you two meet?”

“He moved in next door, didn’t have...well anything, in the middle of winter, hadn’t ever been on his own before…” Dean paused, letting out a fond laugh. “I was in a rough place, but even still I couldn’t just stand by while he tried to build a damn snowman with like half an inch of snow and no jacket on, thought for sure he was going to catch his death.” 

Sam smiled, his big brother always the protector, “Let me guess? You called him a dumbass, got all grumpy at him but still gave him your coat?” he teased.

“Gave him  _ a  _ coat,” Dean said with a sad smile. Sam might have been used to his grumpy teasing but he hadn’t had to deal with the same man Cas had met that day. Grumpy wasn’t quite the word for it. 

The smile faded from Sam’s lips as he saw the guilt flash through his brother, “Hey, what happened? I mean, if it’s hard to talk about you don’t have to,” he said softly.

“Let’s just say, I didn’t take it so well when I thought you were gone...it wasn’t pretty. I was a different person when Cas met me,” Dean answered, chewing up his lip. “Thanks to Benny I’d already got my head out of my ass quite a bit but still...I was a shut in, a recluse asshole ninety percent of the time, probably more.” 

“He’s put in a lot of effort, and so have I, to get me back to what I’d consider somewhat normal.” 

“I’ll have to thank him, for helping you,” he said and then shushed Dean before he could even start up a whole argument about who was really helping the other, “No listen. Dean, even back then you were a stubborn son of a bitch who would not accept help from anyone. The fact that eventually, you let him and are still together, speaks volumes,” he said.

“Well I sure as hell don’t know where I’d be without him so, I guess that’s fair.” 

They caught up a bit more, Dean told him about Benny, about Alistair, about hiring Cas to work from his place. His brother teased him and while Dean had honestly never at the time thought about laying a hand on him, belatedly realizing that they were mates, made sense. He’d wanted to keep him close, and not once before in the many years that his friends and found family had tried to tell him to hire help, had he ever considered it. 

“It’s been good since him, and even better since I found out you were still kickin’.” 

“I’m so happy the two of you found each other. I only spent a few days in that place and it was enough to give me nightmares. I can’t even imagine the kind of shit Castiel went through being in there...Gods, since he was a kid probably,” Sam said, shuddering a bit.

“We’re working through it, the other Omegas...they’re working through it, it’s just going to take some time, that’s all.” Dean squeezed at his brother’s shoulder and they sat there in silence for a while before he spoke again. 

“C’mon, I want to officially introduce you to my mate.”

Sam smiled big and wide, his arm going around Dean’s shoulders, “Gabriel wouldn’t really describe him to me, just that he was kinda pretty,” he snorted, though he’d gotten only a quick glimpse of the new Omega who he was now assuming was Castiel, it would be nice to finally meet the guy.

“Kinda my ass, he’s fucking gorgeous. Too good for my sorry ass that’s for sure,” Dean answered, smiling as he thought about his wonderful mate. 

Sam nodded as they headed into the kitchen. He didn’t have a clue what was being made but his stomach made a loud growling noise once the smells caught up to his nose, “Holy shit, Gabriel did-”

“Oh hell no, that’s all this kid here,” Gabriel laughed pointing to Castiel.

Castiel smiled and turned to face the brothers, “Hello, I’m Castiel. It’s wonderful to finally meet you Sam.”

“Castiel….Angel of Thursday, right?” Sam asked grinning wider as the guy nodded. Dean was right, though he wasn’t really Sam’s type he was far more than just kinda pretty. Of course, Gabriel didn’t like to be outshone very often, so it was probably the bitter jealousy that kept him from admitting the full truth.

“Please, help yourself,” Castiel said gesturing to the bowl of pasta he had made. There were so many things stocked up in the kitchen Castiel could have made anything but he kept it simple. He and Dean had just eaten not too long ago but he wanted something to do. 

“Thanks, this looks and smells amazing,” Sam answered, grabbing a plate and getting himself a heaping serving of the mouthwatering pasta dish.

“It was no bother, I tend to cook when I um...yeah,” Castiel laughed as he moved his hands around to gesture his nerves instead of saying it out loud.

Gabriel gave Castiel an encouraging smile and moved in after Sam to get his own helping, “Nothing to be nervous about here. Besides Dean’s  _ fort _ , this is the safest place in the country for Omegas,” he said softly.

“Better be,” Dean grunted, taking a bite from the bowl Cas put in front of him.

Sam smiled and pulled another forkful to his lips. “It’s delicious, Castiel. My brother is obviously very lucky to have you.”

“We’re lucky to have each other,” Castiel said softly, his cheeks warming up at the praise. He grabbed food for himself last and sat down close to Dean, their legs pressed together under the table.

Gabriel practically inhaled his food when he suddenly remembered the very important issue of one named MacCready and not so subtly kicked at Sam’s foot, his eyes darting to Dean and then back at Sam a few times.

Sam cleared his throat, “I’m not sure if you got the coded mess-,”

Dean nodded, a grin widened on his lips. “We still got it- Mac right?” Dean asked, chuckling softly as he continued. “But he’s more of a double agent and will happily bring us Brady’s head on a pike...I don’t want to move forward with that until we have a more solid plan, some kind of idea of what we’re going to do with all the Omega’s we save. Last time-, well it took a bit of finagling, we figured it out, but these poor people have been through more than I can imagine and I don’t think just setting them up in an apartment complex is going to be the way to go.” 

Castiel smiled at the mention of MacCready. He’d been thrown when Dean had told him about working with Brady and nearly threw a glass at his face when his mate quickly explained things. Castiel had been unsure for a moment but hearing MacCready talk about taking Brady down convinced him that he was truly Dean’s right hand man.

“We have ideas but they’re not concrete and we’re going to need help. Financially and with a leverage pull,” Castiel said.

“So, you wanna use Crowley’s supposed boogeyman status to get things moving?” Gabriel snickered.

“We’re willing to tug as many ropes as necessary to make sure that Brady and every single one of his cohorts are taken down,” Dean offered, squeezing at Castiel’s hand when he came closer. “Honestly...next thing on our agenda is shutting down every center across the damn country.”

“Well, with the way the new laws are going into effect and with how the one in Kansas came down, might not have to do that all on your lonesome. There have been numerous accounts of Omega Centers burning to the ground. I think they have you two to thank for starting that revolution,” Gabriel said, lifting up his glass in a toast.

“Wait, you mean -”

“Yep. The Omega Center you two came from was all over the news. That’s why Crowley finally told Sam the truth. There was a picture of you two and the entire story. Shortly after, at least two have come down the same way.”

“Damn, well...that’s a start,” Dean answered, a little shocked that things had taken such a direct route. He expected it to be years in the making before he was able to shut down more than a handful of places, but he guessed maybe not. 

“A lot of Omegas owe everything to the two of you, and I know my brother doesn’t really like to take the praise, but Castiel...the things you guys have done, it  _ means _ something.” Sam said, between bites of the delicious food Castiel had made for them. 

“Thank you, Sam. It hasn’t been easy but it feels like as long as I have Dean, I can do anything.” 


	15. Chapter 15

Castiel felt like his legs and entire body weighed a million pounds by the time they were shown to a room they could use until they returned home. It was spacious and even had a balcony that if Castiel was more alert, he’d enjoy it more. But as it was, he fell onto the bed face down with a loud groan. 

Meeting Crowley had been the most exhausting time in his life and he’d had plenty of them in the past year alone. He was frustratingly charming and found that pushing Dean’s buttons gave the man way too much enjoyment. Castiel found himself constantly trying to keep Dean stabbing the other Alpha in the throat. 

At the end of it though, they had Crowley’s agreement to the deal and the use of his name to gain some pull for their plans. Then they’d been dismissed with a wave of Crowley’s hand and Castiel had to yank Dean out of the room before he said something stupid. 

There was a dip in the bed and Castiel’s next groan turned into a surprised moan when Dean’s fingers dug into his back.

“Sorry, I know you don’t like playing go-between but that short little-,” Dean stopped himself. He took a deep breath before he tried again, “ _ Crowley _ , really knows how to get on my nerves.” 

“I know love,” Castiel said, his voice muffled against the blanket. He turned his head a bit and gave Dean a warm smile, “I’m glad to be helpful but the two of you made me reach a whole new limit of patience I never knew I had,” he giggled. The fingers in his back dug a bit firmer and he let out a long groan, “That feels amazing.”

“You feel amazing,” Dean answered letting his fingers dig even deeper until Cas was making sounds he typically made with his clothes off, or at least in what little experience he’d managed to get in.

“Thank you, for being better than me, keeping a cooler head, being everything I need.”

Castiel sighed, allowing for Dean to continue digging into his back for a few more minutes before he was slowly rolling onto his back so he could look up at Dean. He took his mate’s hand and squeezed his fingers gently, “That doesn’t make me better than you Dean. Just that I know you well enough now to keep things relatively calm. Trust me, you said a lot of things that I was thinking and I too, wanted to fucking strangle Crowley,” he laughed, loving how Dean’s eyes widened at the curse.

“I don’t-” Dean struggled to say what it was he actually meant. “Look, I know I give myself a hard time and I have a long way to go if I’ll ever be able to wrap my head around the idea that I actually deserve someone as awesome as you, but this- I wasn’t talking about that just now I meant…” 

He huffed, frustration sinking into him where he didn’t like to let it dwell, but he couldn’t even speak what was on his damn mind. “I just mean, you-I’m brash, ragged, sharp...like a broken vase. You came in, pieced me together, acting as the warm, glue that slips between all the empty parts and seals it up.” 

Castiel swallowed hard and sat up slowly, he touched at Dean’s cheek and smiled, “And I’ll continue to be your glue as long you need me,” he said, knowing full well that Dean would not take that lightly but deep into his heart. To make a promise like that was easy, they were true mates,just like Benny had predicted and Castiel wasn’t going anywhere. 

He moved until he was sitting in Dean’s lap, legs straddling the Alpha’s thighs as Castiel pressed their foreheads together, “I could easily say the same about you by the way. I may have not been as jagged but I was still shattered.”

“You all but fixed yourself back up, Cas...I just helped you get the tools,” Dean promised, though he didn’t argue too much. He knew his mate enjoyed being able to compliment without Dean turning it around. 

“But if you want to share the credit, I’ll take what I can get.” 

“We fixed each other remember?” he laughed fondly at their almost regularly scheduled argument. The smile that Dean graced him with warmed Castiel down to his toes and sighed as he snuggled closer.

“Can...can I ask you something?” 

“Anything.”

“I know it feels like it just happened but my heats have always been consistently close together. I can take suppressants now that I have money to purchase them but, I was hoping maybe you’d like to share my next one with me? If it’s too much I’ll understand, promise,” he said quickly.

“I’ll be honest, Cas...part of me is chomping at the bit to do that but are you sure..? I mean, heats are...you could get-, are you wanting a family?” Dean asked, half terrified of the answer, no matter which way it went. He wasn’t sure he was ready to be a father-hell wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready, not that Cas had asked him to be...they were mates though, and his Omega never mentioned anything about leaving or anything else...but family, that was-those were big ticket items, what if they didn’t line up? What if-

Castiel couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculously clueless his mate was, it was adorable, really.

“Dean, you do know they make birth control for Omegas, right?” he asked with a wide grin.

Dean flushed, “Of course I did, I just-nothing’s a hundred percent, right?” 

“Oh I know. That’s why I’ve actually started taking the birth control right after my heat. I didn’t tell you about it because at the time, we weren’t...exactly at that point for it to mean anything. The medicine still helps with other things but that’s besides the point. Anyway, you can wear a condom too if that’ll help your anxiety,” he said with a shrug.

“I don’t know I just-I mean I know it’s early  _ now _ but like...do you want, do you ever think you’ll want a family?” 

Castiel shrugged as his brain fought against the training that had been drilled into his head since he was young. 

_ Omega means being a homemaker. _

_ Omega means taking care of an Alpha in every which way needed. _

_ Omega means giving the Alpha pups, the number of how many didn’t matter as long as the Alpha was happy. _

“I always hated the idea of it. That it was the only reason why I existed. To present and be bred up like some animal. It was...one of the times they threatened me with the top floor, was because I argued,” he said with a sigh, “Now though, I’m not sure. The idea of starting a family with  _ you _ has made me rethink it lately. If sometime in the future, once all this is over and we feel settled enough, it could be something discuss then,” he said with another shrug.

“So you don’t want one now, then…” Dean asked, just to make sure he’d heard correctly. 

Castiel nodded, “Maybe, but not for a few years at least,” he said.

“Okay then, I’m cool with it if you are. But I do want to say, that you know I don’t think of you like that, right? You’re not just some- _ thing _ I have to take care of until babies start popping out of you,” Dean reassured, it was probably the last thing he’d cared about if he were being honest. Castiel’s  _ everything else _ was much more important.

“Yes, of course I know that Dean. It’s not something I’ve ever had to question when I’m with you. You always make feel...empowered. We’re together yes but you have never failed to let me lead or stand on my own when I needed to. It’s...beyond exhilarating to feel this free but to know that at the end of the day, you’re still here with me, having my back through whatever is thrown at us. Not only as my mate but as my best friend as well,” he said, leaning in to press their lips together in a light kiss.

‘Mmm, good…” Dean answered, dragging his mate back in again and again until their kisses were much more heated. Still the moment was slow and warm and not bogged down by lust or need, but just  _ more _ than the gentleness that had been there before. When Cas finally pulled back and muttered something about needing to breath they both chuckled, but Dean just wrapped an arm around his perfect mate and kept him close. 

He cleared his throat, not sure how to bring up the topic, not without the ring he’d bought before they left. It hadn’t been a rushed sort of deal, he had just been making his way around town with Mac to set the stage for their little decoy and there it had been in the window of a small antique shop. He couldn’t even see it fully but he’d known. It was practically screaming Cas at him and the closer he got to it the more right it felt. Still, when he’d picked it up, he imagined it was just to grab it while he saw it, he hadn’t intended on using it but then Cas was Cas and Dean found it nearly impossible not to want to hand it over every five seconds and beg for the Omega to be his. 

“I’ll uh, I’ll be back just...wait here?” Dean squeaked, moving back toward the door where they’d dropped their bags. 

Castiel chuckled as he laid back down his arms stretching over his head. Dean could be grumbly all he wanted but beneath it the tough exterior he was a giant teddy bear. He watched as Dean stumbled towards their bags and Castiel sat up on elbows, looking at his mate curiously.

“If you're looking for your phone charger its in my smaller bag on the dresser.”

Dean couldn’t help but chuckle but he didn’t stop digging into his own bag, knowing exactly where he put it if he could only get his shaving ki-“Ah, ha! Gotcha,” he said pulling out the small black case. 

“What is that?” Castiel asked with a tilt of his head

“S’nothin,”Dean said, not even a little bit cunning. He dug into the black case and pulled the small box out, hiding it in his fist. He then tucked the case back away drawing even more confusion out of his mate. 

Castiel shook his and rolled his eyes fondly as he plopped back down.

He carried the box behind his back like it wasn’t blatantly obvious he’d pulled something out. Cas made granny hands at it for a minute until Dean struggled to clear his throat. He guessed that was when his mate sensed the shift in the room and the playfulness fell to the side, temporarily at least. 

“Cas...like I said before, you have been everything and more that I could have wanted in a mate and if you want me to spend your heat with you just as we are now, I’d be honored…” Dean swallowed again, and held out the ancient ring box. “But if you’d rather spend it as official mates, well….that would be ok too.”

Castiel shot up so quickly his back protested with a sharp jolt of pain but he ignored it in favor to get closer to Dean. The box was absolutely beautiful, old and worn like it had traveled through generations. Castiel held his breath as Dean slowly lifted the round lid, revealing the most unique and gorgeous ring Castiel had ever seen. It was black with an imperfect engraving of a circle running through the center that had been filled with gold. 

He couldn’t help the hiccuped sob he let out and covered his mouth, the words completely lost and locked up in his throat. The urge to scream yes was there but he felt stuck. Dean moved closer, his body only inches away as those green eyes peered into his own.

Castiel blinked a few times and nodded frantically, his throat finally unlocking enough for him to squeak out, “Yes.”

“I love you,” Dean said softly, kissing the life out of his partner until they both fell over into the bed giggling. 

Castiel kissed Dean with just as much passion but had to pull away for not only to catch his breath but he couldn’t stop laughing now that his voice was back. He held out his hand as Dean pushed the ring onto his finger and the emotions went haywire again. Between laughing, crying, and all the kissing Castiel was getting light headed. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed but he was back in Dean’s lap, leaning down and kissing him again when he pushed their foreheads together, “I love you so much Dean,” he hummed.

“I love you too sweetheart,” he offered, a tender kiss to Cas’ lips before he pulled back and smiled a wicked grin, “Now, I think we’ve got plenty of time to fool around before we have to meet back up with the others, whaddya say?”

Castiel smiled big and wide, his earlier exhaustion completely forgotten as he attacked Dean’s neck, sucking and nibbling on his skin, “That sounds amazing,” he whispered in Dean’s ear. 

“Yeah it does,” he grinned, savoring every kiss, every touch his Omega offered. Soon Cas would be well and truly his and Dean would undoubtedly be the luckiest sonuvabitch alive. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


When all was said and done, it was kind of anticlimactic, considering everything they’d been through. Dean had set it up so that Mac worked with Jody when the time came and all of Brady’s little guppies were flipping all over themselves to see who could catch the plea deal first. Not that Jody actually gave one to any of the assholes, they’d all be in prison for what was left of their, likely short, miserable lives. 

Dean was satisfied with that part, though there was still work to do. A lot of Centers had been closed down, others burned down, it was certainly somewhat of a domino effect, but more importantly he and Sam were planning to make sure the newest legislature for Omega rights was just the beginning. 

Speaking of, Sam had agreed to move to Kansas, and Dean enjoyed watching Gabriel mope around the place for a few days before he put him out of his misery and offered him a job. Sam seemed happy with that plan so he didn’t look into it too much. However his weird, dorky brother wanted to get his kicks, well that was up to him. 

Crowley and Rowena were both using their history with Omega centers and their contacts to figure out where the worst of the worst were hiding and Dean’s people were systematically rooting them out. His work force had grown quite a bit, Omegas mostly. Much to his surprise quite a few of them were excellent strategists and not unlike Cas, they were tech fucking geniuses.

It meant Bela’s contract wasn’t quite filled as soon as he’d intended but she seemed to understand and tied up a few loose ends for him on that end. 

Cas...Cas was beautiful and vibrant and  _ perfect _ . 

Dean watched in awe as he made a platformed speech in front of thousands. He wasn’t exactly on the campaign trail but damn if people weren’t whispering about it. There had never been an Omega mayor, much less governor or president, not that his mate wanted that much attention, but he also had too many good ideas to sit on the sidelines. 

“To wrap things up, I wanted to thank you all for letting me stand up here and be the voice of many. Many of which who have been silenced for far too long. As many of you are here, listening to me, to be a true ally to us, you need to start listening to those around you. United we stand much stronger than apart. Thank you,” Castiel said, lifting up his hand in a wave as he stepped off the stage. The sound of the crowd was deafening and the second he was out of the eyesight, the nerves came crashing down but thankfully, Dean was right there to catch him as he stumbled.

“How...how did I do?” he asked.

“Perfect, as always.” 

Castiel smiled brightly and hugged Dean tightly. They only got a few seconds before someone cleared their throat behind him. When he turned around, the color in his face drained and he had to swallow hard. There had been a rumor of the President himself being there at the rally but Castiel didn’t want to get his hopes up. But yet, here he was standing right in front of him.

“H-Hello,” he said timidly.

“Hello Castiel, I wanted to congratulate you...the both of you in person. Please let me formally introduce myself, I’m Cain Avias and this is my mate, Amara.”

“I’m sure he knows who we are, Love.” Amara laughed, opening her arms to Castiel and waiting for him to move forward. She didn’t want to push, but at the same time, he was so passionate, so clever, reminded him of herself when she was...well younger. 

When he hesitantly stepped forward, she grinned. “Hello Castiel, I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve done.” 

Castiel let out a sigh of relief and moved closer to hug Amara. She was the most powerful Omega in the country and to have her support made all the nerves subside, “Thank you,” he said softly.

“You are very welcome. My husband and I would love to have dinner with you, and your mate if he wants to join us. It doesn’t have to be work, but we certainly don’t discourage conversation on current events,” she teased, patting him on the back a time or two before she pulled away again. “We love everything you’ve been talking about and we have plans to put some of them in action already, we just need a little help convincing the old fuddy duddies around us.” 

“We’d love to join you for dinner, maybe tomorrow night?” he asked biting his lip as he looked back at Dean for confirmation.

Dean nodded eagerly. “Absolutely, wherever whenever is good for you two.” 

“I see you have yourself an excellent Alpha, much like mine, pretty and smart.” 

Dean flushed, an awkward laugh leaving his lips. 

Internally he winced, but externally,  _ fuck _ he was going to have dinner with the fucking president! 

Cain snorted, “Now, now Amara,” he said, bringing her hand up to his lips, “Tomorrow night it is then. Now, it won’t  _ all _ be work but I would love to hear more of these ideas and maybe...if Amara’s feeling generous, we’ll let you in on a little secret,” he said.

“We’ll look forward to it,” Dean promised, wrapping a hand tightly around Castiel’s waist. 

Castiel waved at the couple awkwardly as they exchanged numbers and were walking away. Once out of ear shot, Castiel slowly turned to look at Dean, his eyes wide, “Did...did that just happen?” he hissed.

“Ohhh yeah, I’m gonna have bragging rights  _ for LIFE _ ,” Dean grinned, already mentally flipping his brother off with a smug grin. 

Castiel rolled his eyes fondly and leaned in to press a kiss to Dean’s chin, “Don’t forget how Amara called you pretty too,” he snorted.

“Well I am pretty,” Dean grinned. “C’mon, let’s get out of here before you get mobbed...you smell fucking amazing.” 

Castiel laughed as he followed Dean only to stop short, his hand yanking the Alpha back. There were people all screaming out his name and Dean turned to give him a proud smirk. It was then a dribble of sweat made its way down the side of his neck and he gasped.

“Oh...shit,” he whined, “Dean…” 

“Sweetheart, what’s-fuck!”

Dean pulled his wrist to his mouth and pushed the button, “Mac, we’re gonna need an exit and fast.” 

_ Roger that boss, everything okay? Castiel in danger or somethin? _

“Dean!” Castiel groaned as he pressed himself up against Dean’s body, his face going straight for his neck as his hands desperately tried to pull off the offending clothes separating him from Dean’s skin.

“Maybe a little,” Dean growled, the scent of Cas was damn near intoxicating, “But only from me...we gotta get out of here Mac,  _ Now. _ ”

Castiel managed to get the first couple of buttons ripped off and latched his mouth on the newly bared skin and moaned, “Dean, will you stay with me? Please? Want my mate, please don’t make me stay alone,” Castiel whined, licking up from Dean’s collarbone to his neck, “I’ll be good for you Alpha,” he said against Dean’s ear.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to take good care of you but you have got to give me a little time, I- fuck Cas, you damn-you’re amazing at that, but we have to get out of here,” he said, pulling his mate closer to the exit path Mac was giving him through the ear bud. 

They flew through the doors, Mac standing on the other side wearing his “I’m concerned” face for all of two seconds before his stupid smirk lit up like a damn Christmas Tree. 

“HOTEL NOW!” Dean barked, guiding Cas into the back seat of their rented town car. Dean would have preferred his baby, but it wasn’t quite as invisible as he’d have liked, he’d tried it at the first couple rallies but everyone was waiting for them and Cas ended up stuck there for hours after the speech to talk to his fans. 

“Damn he smells sweet,” MacCready whistled as he got in the car, starting it up. Castiel smelled good but to him, it was  _ too _ sweet. He quickly got in the driver side and peeled out of the back entrance to the main street.

“Need my Alpha,” Castiel purred, climbing onto Dean’s lap and kissing at his mate’s lips, sucking hard on his bottom one. There was one, brief moment of clarity where Castiel calmed down just a smidge and gave Dean a bashful smile, “I love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart, can’t wait to get you back to the hotel...gonna take such good care of you,” Dean promised, softly kissing at Cas’ warm forehead. 

Castiel nodded, his arms clinging tightly around Dean’s neck. He wasn’t aware of when the car finally stopped in front of their hotel. Just that Dean picked him up and began carrying him. Thankfully the room they had would be stocked full of anything they would need and with the walls being so thick, they wouldn’t have to worry about others.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ITS THE FINAL CHAPTER!! Hope you guys enjoy! xoox

The second they were in their room, Castiel turned nearly feral. He yanked and pulled at Dean’s clothing before the door was even closed. A noise he’d never heard before left his throat as he surged forward to suck hard on one of Dean’s nipples.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you don’t like to make it easy on me, do ya’? Dean grunted, pushing them deeper into the room until finally they were beside the bed, 

Dean eased Castiel onto the bed, his Omega whimpering at the loss of contact. “Shhh, shhh baby, I’ve got you…just gotta get us out of these clothes, you want that right?” 

Castiel nodded frantically, “Yes, yes please Dean. It’s too hot,” he said swallowing hard. He felt like he was on fire, that his skin would start to bubble right before his eyes. He tried to sit up to get Dean’s pants off but the Alpha gently pushed him away.

“You first, love.” Dean helped Cas maneuver out of his clothes, it took them both a bit more effort than usual because his Omega was in need and he didn’t know how to fight it any longer, Dean didn’t blame him. 

Then, he quickly undressed himself, though Cas didn’t make that easy for him either, he was finally able to cover his Omega, skin to skin. Dean nipped at the side of Cas’ neck and grinned. “Gonna mark you up, make you mine, you ready for me, sweetheart?” 

Castiel cried out with relief, Dean’s skin making his own cool down just a slight bit but it was enough, “Yes please, make me yours,” he gasped, spreading his legs to wrap around Dean’s waist. The heavy feeling of Dean’s erection against his own made him squirm with delight and he bucked up his hips a little.

“That’s it, gods you feel amazing Cas… gonna open you up a bit, Sweetheart. Don’t want to hurt you,” Dean promised, his fingers slipping lower until he could feel the slick from Castiel’s hole dripping onto his fingers. He barely had to push in before it coated his skin and his mate was pleading for more. 

Castiel threw his head back with a mewl. Having someone else's hands on him was like fire, especially since it was  _ Dean _ touching him. The fingers inside hom stroked and prodded, sending his body into a wave of pleasure he'd never experienced before in his life. It was always his own hands or some toy he had to use.

He wasn't even aware he was crying until brushed the tears away and Castiel swallowed hard, “I'm ready Dean please, it hurts,” he gasped.

“I’ve got you, beautiful...I’ve got you.” 

Dean resituated himself until he could guide himself into Cas from the best angle possible. He’d been doing a little research and the internet was a great place for trips on making it as painless as possible the first time, though Cas was sooo wet Dean wasn’t sure it mattered entirely. Still, he wanted to take all precautions he could manage. 

Sliding into Cas was a goddamn religious experience. Not only could he practically feel the radiating satisfaction from his mate but Dean himself had never felt so complete. 

Castiel's jaw dropped open but no sound came out as Dean's thick heat slid into him, filling him up so perfectly, it was the last puzzle piece of their mating. Of all the things the Center took from him, he was beyond grateful this at least, he still had.

Once their bodies were flush together, Castiel let out a long, loud moan, “Oh wow that feels incredible,” he said, his voice coming out like a purr.

“Mmmhmm,” Dean grunted, unable to fully speak. 

He took a short breath in, and it shook as it passed his lips in a soft exhale. 

“You are perfection, my Omega. Want you wearing my mark, want to claim..last chance to back out on that front Cas,’ he said softly, Castiel’s big blue eyes clear as could be or he wouldn’t have asked. 

“Never,” Castiel said and bared his throat to his mate. The snarl that followed matched the sudden roughness of Dean’s hips and Castiel cried out, his fingers digging into Dean’s back as he held on for dear life. It was everything he ever needed but yet was still not enough. Their first time together was going to be over so quickly though Castiel couldn’t care less. He had his mate growling, snarling his name in his ear while the quickly forming knot was teasing at him. 

Castiel dragged his fingers through Dean’s hair and pulled at it, “Now Dean, now!” Castiel cried out.

“Mine,” Dean said as he lunged forward. Before anything else registered there was the copper tang of Castiel’s blood on his tongue and a heat surging through him that was unlike anything he’d ever imagined. His hands pulled at Cas’ hips roughly until his mate was fully seated on his knot and he was spilling over in pulses that seemed to echo throughout his whole body. 

Castiel was floating. The moment Dean bit into him and his knot firmly locked them together, Castiel exploded out of his skin. He wasn’t aware of anything else, just the euphoria of the pleasure coursing through him. When he did come down, his throat hurt and he blushed when he realized how much he probably screamed. He was clinging to Dean, his entire body trembling with the aftershocks and Dean was cooing in his ear.

“Oh my Gods,” Castiel whined, pushing his face into Dean’s neck.

“I uh, I’m sorry...I meant to last longer,” Dean promised, though his mate seemed to be quite sated he couldn’t help but be regretful their first time together was already over. 

“N-No...no don’t be sorry,” Castiel said, swallowing around the roughness of his throat, “That...that was fucking wonderful.” He let out a short, abrupt giggle that turned into an almost hysterical laughing fit that had Dean looking at him in concern.

“Sorry, I’m just so fucking happy that they were so incredibly wrong. All of them,” Castiel said, wiping at the tears leaking out of his eyes. He was overwhelmed with not only heat that was sated for now but also with relief. They had said so many ugly things about what would happen his first time and where he knew without a doubt that they were wrong, to experience it was something he hadn’t properly prepared for. 

“Who?” 

“Everyone at the center, especially Naomi,” Castiel said, his breathing finally back to normal as he relaxed. His body was still tingling and he slightly shifted his hips and gasped when Dean’s own twitched, sending another wave of his release into Castiel. He groaned wantonly and bit his bottom lip. It felt amazing and only hurt if they tried to move too much.

“Wrong about what? They tell you sex was bad?” Dean asked, more curious than anything. 

Castiel shifted a bit and the two of them maneuvered around until they were more comfortable.

“Well, they said that only in rare cases would it actually feel good. Heat sex is heat sex, we're all so drowned by it that everything feels good I guess but we were warned that it would be painful, no matter how eager we were for it,” he said with a shrug, “One of the many reasons why I chose to suffer through it alone every time. I didn't care how many times they tried to drill it through my head that I would have to take whatever Alpha would want me. Even when I was younger, I knew deep down my mate was out there and I didn't want some gross Alpha taking that away from me before I could meet them. Or well, you.”

Dean felt a warmth in his chest that was unparalleled. Knowing that somehow, even the thought of him, had comforted his mate in the worst times. “You’re amazing, do I tell you that enough?” he grinned, kissing softly at Castiel’s sweaty forehead. “So fucking amazing, Cas.” 

Castiel laughed softly, “As are you Dean,” he hummed, turning his face up for a kiss on the lips that his mate happily gave. It was slow and sweet, completely distracting Castiel from the discomfort of Dean finally slipping from his body. He was aware of the empty feeling though and tried to fight off the urge to be incredibly clingy but in the end, he lost.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he whined as he clung onto Dean for dear life, “Just...please, tell me I’m not going to wake up and this be a dream,” he whispered.

“If you think for a minute that I don’t know exactly how good I have it, or that you can get rid of me now, you’re crazy,” Dean promised, trying his best to reassure his mate as the scent of their sex wrapped around them. 

“We should probably reschedule with the friggin’ president though,” he added with a loud laugh, making Cas join him with adorable little chuckles. 

“Probably, I’m sure they’ll understand,” Castiel said, licking his lips as he felt the next wave of heat starting to rise. He pushed at Dean’s shoulders until the Alpha was on his back and Castiel straddled him, his heart thudding in his chest that Dean was allowing him to do this. It shouldn’t have surprised him but it still did. He dragged his nails down Dean’s chest and grinned when Dean sucked in a breath.

‘I thought my heat would have come a lot sooner, of course it would arrive at a stupid time,” he laughed, leaning down to drag his tongue right over Dean’s nipple.

“I don’t know that I’d say stupid….” Dean grinned, moaning a bit when Cas applied pressure with his teeth. “Though you keep doing that and I’m liable to say whatever you want.”

“Careful,” Castiel giggled and bit on his bottom lip as he reached behind him and guided Dean into himself. He gasped loudly as he sunk down slow, Dean’s hands tight on his hips to keep him from going to fast. The new angle had him seeing stars and when they were flush together again, he needed a moment as his knees shook, “How is it this feels even better,” he said.

“Because you’re in control.Because we’re mated ...Because you’re a little used to it now,” Dean said, his words barely able to fully leave his lips before Cas had him moaning like a pornstar. 

“Fuck sweetheart,” Dean said, grunting a bit as Castiel rolled his hips and nearly had him bucking off the bed. 

Castiel threw his head back with a deep moan, his body shuddering as he tried to find some kind of rhythm. With Dean’s grip on his hips, it was easy to focus on that and not the overwhelming need pulsing through him. Finally he was able to roll his hips, his palms pressing down on Dean’s chest as he practically used his mate’s cock to get himself off. 

Dean had to bite at his lip and think some pretty nasty things to keep from spilling but he forced his orgasm back, wanting nothing more than to watch his Omega fall apart on top of him. Castiel was beautiful in any light but fuck if he wasn’t the most gorgeous thing Dean had ever laid eyes on, taking control, and just using him.

He had  _ not _ known that was a kink he’d have but damn if it didn’t do  _ everything _ for him. 

“That’s it, Cas. Take it, sweetheart, make yourself cum.” 

Castiel licked his lips and nodded, picking up the pace and laughing when the bed started to creak a bit. It all felt so wonderful, though the moment Dean’ knot began to form it got a hundred times better. Castiel renewed his efforts and was bouncing on Dean’s cock until finally the knot locked them together and he came with a loud cry of Dean’s name.

Everything went white for a single moment as Dean’s climax punched its way out. It was so intense, so real, that it legitimately almost felt painful with how quickly it came over him. Being inside his Omega felt even more amazing than before but nothing he’d ever seen looked as beautiful as the vision of his satisfied mate holding himself up when it obviously would have been easier to just slump over. 

His Cas, His Omega, so strong, so gorgeous, so perfect. 

* * *

  
  


Four days. Four glorious days of the best heat he ever had in his entire life. Usually, it last only three but whether it was because of all the excitement or that he had his mate to experience it with, he wasn’t sure. 

Castiel looked up into the shower spray and hummed as the water dribbled down his skin. He couldn't stop smiling as he ran his hands down his stomach and back that were littered with love bites from Dean. The shower door opened a smidge and Castiel turned his smile to his mate who was peering in.

“You can come in, it’s big enough,” Castiel laughed softly.

“I thought you might want some time to yourself, to just...recoup from it all,” Dean grinned. The heat, as lovely as it had been, had taken quite a bit out of his mate. He could smell the warm scent of satisfaction take over as the hormonal tones of need and deprivation slipped away for the last time, signaling the end of their first heat together. Still, it had been a lot so he didn’t want to overwhelm his mate even further. 

With the invitation though, he stepped inside and gently wrapped around the warm, slick body of his Omega, humming in approval. 

“I’m okay. I appreciate it but I always enjoy you being with me,” Castiel said softly, turning his head to kiss at Dean’s cheek, “How are you feeling?” he asked, leaning more against Dean’s chest. Thankfully the hotel they were in had amazing water pressure.

“I’m good, better than I ever thought I’d be I guess,” he answered, playfully running his fingers through Cas’ hair as he stepped forward gently guiding him back under the spray just enough to get it wet. “How bout you?” 

“Wonderful,” Castiel sighed, his eyes fluttering shut as Dean started to massage the soap into his scalp, “Feels amazing,” he hummed. Castiel’s legs were quickly turning to jelly, his hands lifted to press against the showers wall to keep his balance. Dean helped him rinse the shampoo out of his hair and Castiel laughed softly as he returned the favor, scratching at Dean’s scalp with his nails.

“Do you feel more...settled about it now? I know it was something that bothered you in the beginning,” Castiel said and bit his lip, not giving Dean a chance to answer before he was barraling on, “I want to spend your next rut with you.”

“It didn’t….it didn’t bother me, I just-when I thought Sam was gone, it didn’t feel right to just go on with my life. As weird as it sounds, it was like a piece of me was gone and I couldn’t just  _ be okay _ with that. I couldn’t allow myself to move on and be I don’t know, happy.”

Dean frowned, he didn’t like to psychoanalyze himself and just lay it out but Cas was his mate and he trusted him with  _ everything.  _ “I had enough guilt about finding you, wanting to keep you in spite of everything, I knew if we took it further there would be no denying that I was happy, and that felt wrong at the time I guess.”

Castiel nodded, his arms wrapping around Dean’s waist once he rinsed the Alpha’s hair free of suds, “I can understand that. I’ve been at war with myself over what Samandriel had gone through and what others still are experiencing but yet...here I am. With an Alpha and so fucking happy I could cry,” he said softly and then rested his head on Dean’s chest.

“We won’t stop, sweetheart. I swear to you we won’t stop till every single Omega walks free out of those damn centers,” Dean swore, holding his mate as the water began to trickle out more slowly, his hand twisting gently at the knob. 

“C’mon, don’t want you getting all wrinkly,” he teased, guiding Cas out of the shower and into a soft, plush towel. 

Castiel smiled and quickly got dry. They still had the rest of the day to relax, their dinner date with Cain and Amara rescheduled for tomorrow evening. He pulled on some worn flannel pants and quickly got into the bed. The newly changed sheets were butter soft to the touch and Castiel sighed as Dean crawled in next to him. He curled into his mate’s side and kissed at Dean’s bare shoulder, “I know we’ll free them Dean. You and I are an awesome team,” he laughed softly, propping his head up a little so he could look into Dean’s face, “And don’t think I didn’t notice how you glossed over your rut topic.”

“You can be with me whenever you want Cas, I’m never going to be inaccessible to you, not ever again,” he said, his fingers tracing over the bite mark on his Omega’s neck. “You’re mine, now and forever.” 

Castiel shuddered at both the words and Dean’s touch on his neck, “Good. You’re mine too mister,” he said playfully only to let out an embarrassing squeak as Dean tackled him. 

“Oh yeah? Prove it,” he grinned, rubbing his nose playfully against Castiel’s while giving him a shit eating grin. 

Castiel barked out a laugh and proceeded to wrestle with Dean on the bed, both of them nearly falling over the edge several times. Somehow he managed to pin Dean down and playfully nipped at Dean’s neck before pulling back.

His heart stuttered in his chest a bit but Dean didn’t let that stop him. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” he asked, and tilted his head to the side. 

“You...you actually want me to mark you?” Castiel asked, his eyes drawn to the long line of Dean’s neck. He’d never heard of another Alpha wanting their mate’s mark, especially not an Omega. 

“What, you don't want to?” Dean teased, unable to let the full weight of what was about to hit him, inside his head. The truth of it all was that he knew what it felt like to claim Cas. He knew the power that came with it, not to mention the feelings of safety and security and permanence. 

Home. 

He wanted his mate to feel that too. 

“I wouldn’t offer it if I wasn’t willing, Cas. You know me.” 

“I know you wouldn’t it’s just…” Castiel closed his eyes and sighed, “This is huge and I don’t want to mess up,” he said softly.

“Hey,” Dean said, pulling at Cas’ chin until his mate looked up at him. “You are a goddamn warrior and there’s going to be mistakes, but not this...never this. You know what to do, sweetheart...just do it.” 

Castiel nodded and leaned in for a kiss. It was a light one but it was enough to settle the anxiousness growing in his chest. Slowly, he trailed his lips back to Dean’s neck and licked up the side of it, his teeth dragging right over the spot he wanted to mark. At Dean’s sharp inhale he struck, sinking in just enough that he knew it would scar.

There was just a hint of pain before overwhelming warmth and affection flooded over him like a heat wave. Everything he thought he’d felt when he bit Cas was nothing compared to what his mate had brought to him with just one simple action. There were no words in that moment, not a single one that could describe what he felt so Dean did what he did best and pushed it off for something lighter, something more tangible. 

“Fuck, that’s hot…” Dean grunted, his hips bucking a bit unable to resist the urge. 

Castiel groaned. He felt high. His head was floaty and now his eyes were incredibly heavy. The taste of Dean was on his tongue and he couldn’t help cleaning up the mess he left behind, loving the way Dean shuddered as he traced over the new scarring flesh. 

“Mmm, it was,” he said, pushing his head against the other side of Dean’s neck and snuggling against Dean.

“Feels right, don’t it?” Dean asked, though he was really just wondering aloud to himself. He didn’t fully expect Cas to answer but his mate was tucked in against him and happy, so that’s all that mattered to him. 

‘Yes, it does. I don’t remember you acting like this though,” Castiel snorted. He felt like some cat or something and tried to curl against Dean as much as he able too. He knew Dean was turned on, could feel his growing erection against his leg but all Castiel wanted to do was snuggle the crap out of his mate.

“Oh I had my own ways of getting what I needed, this is just yours.” Dean rubbed a hand up and down the bare skin of Castiel’s back, chuckling at how cuddly his mate was. “I don’t mind your way either, just so you know.” 

“Good,” Castiel grinned, turning his face just enough to kiss at Dean’s chest, “We’ll get to taking care of you in just a second,” he sighed, the waves of content and happiness washing over him. He knew Dean could feel it too and that only made him happier.

“No rush.” 


End file.
